‘Don’t be governed by fear,’ says Romano of proposed ferrochrome facility

Politicians are no longer referring merely to the need for jobs, but ‘good-paying jobs.’

Sault Ste. Marie MPP Ross Romano, in a speech delivered to local Chamber of Commerce members at a breakfast and ‘fireside chat’ event Friday morning, spoke passionately about the need for such jobs to be created in the Sault through the establishment of a ferrochrome processing facility (known officially as an FPF, a ‘smelter’ in unofficial terms) if or when the Ring of Fire mega project is developed.

Hopes for an FPF to be built in the Sault, Romano said, are “not pie in the sky.”

The Sault is on the short list of cities (along with Sudbury, Timmins and Thunder Bay) which have placed bids to Toronto-based mining company Noront Resources in the hope of securing an FPF.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity… people in Sault Ste. Marie say we’re a one horse town and we need to get another horse in the race. This could be that horse,” Romano said.

However, Romano said it is imperative the entire community gets on board in support of the Sault’s FPF bid, expressing concerns environmentalists have raised against the facility being built in the Sault.

Romano said after communicating with Noront he is convinced the company is environmentally conscious and interested in the Sault, but “they want to be wanted.”

“(But) recently, ever since the bid to Noront was released in early November (by the city of Sault Ste. Marie through the Economic Development Corporation), I haven’t seen positive coverage with respect to that. There have been concerns raised. A committee has been formed and they have raised concerns from an environmental health and safety perspective.”

“I applaud them, because they don’t know the answers to these questions and they care about this community and they’re worried about the safety of it.”

“But the way to move forward and deal with these issues is to work together,” Romano said.

“To all those people who have concerns right now about what this facility could mean for Sault Ste. Marie…I would say ‘please, do not let yourself be governed by fears of what we do not know.’”  

“I look forward to meeting with these groups…we will host a series of town hall meetings, but my focus will be to how we ensure proper educational awareness (regarding environmental concerns about the presence of an FPF).”

Romano said Noront will spend more than $100 million in the first year after the successful bidding city is announced (in the spring of 2018) on environmental assessments and permitting, and will provide the answers to questions environmentalists want.

The MPP also encouraged those with environmental concerns over an FPF to contact him, promising he would try to provide answers himself or through posing questions to Noront.

The bid process for the FPF is over Feb. 2.

On a humorous note, Romano said he too is environmentally aware, pointing to the green socks he wore for Friday’s event.

An FPF in Sault Ste. Marie would be located between Essar Steel Algoma and Arauco.

Romano told SooToday it is estimated between 400 and 500 workers would be needed to build the facility, then 400 permanent direct jobs at the FPF once it’s operating, with another 1,200 spinoff jobs as a result.

Romano said it is projected it would take 10 years for development of the Ring of Fire megaproject, including First Nations consultation, road construction into the region, the building of the actual chromite mines in the area and establishment of an FPF in the Sault.

A long way down the road, but Romano said it creates hope for local children to know there is the possibility of a good-paying job in Sault Ste. Marie a decade from now.