Latest news with #MinistryOfMines
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
What happens next after the rescue of trapped mine workers in B.C.?
Newmont Corp. says three mine workers who were trapped in the Red Chris mine in northern B.C. were rescued on Thursday night. Newmont says it will 'conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the factors that led to this event,' and B.C.'s Ministry of Mines Act will also be launching its own probe.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Northern Ont. residents oppose plan to dump radioactive material near drinking water source
About 100 people attended a town hall in Nairn & Hyman Township to discuss plans to move radioactive material from Nipissing First Nation to Agnew Lake. About 100 people attended a town hall in Nairn and Hyman Township to discuss provincial plans to move radioactive material from Nipissing First Nation to Agnew Lake. The township hired a consultant to review the technical report, citing environmental and health concerns. Mayor Amy Mazey urged the province to reconsider, saying the plan isn't the best solution. Residents in Nairn and Hyman and surrounding communities met Monday to discuss concerns about a plan by the province to transfer radioactive material into the area. Concerns were first raised last summer after a local municipal councillor noticed newer back roads and inquired about the upgrades. Nairn and Hyman About 100 residents from Nairn and Hyman and surrounding communities met Monday to discuss a provincial plan to dump radioactive material into tailings area at Agnew Lake, 27 kilometres from the community's drinking water supply. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News) That's when the township discovered that the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Mines were planning to move 18,000 cubic metric tonnes of niobium radioactive materials from Nipissing First Nation to the tailings area at Agnew Lake. Agnew Lake is 27 kilometres from the township's drinking water. 'We felt we really hadn't been consulted,' Nairn and Hyman Mayor Amy Mazey told the crowd. 'We were told the 'naturally occurring radioactive material' was just like gravel.' Last September, the municipality asked the province for more specific information about the project, which was scheduled to begin this summer. 'This is not 'NORM '–naturally occurring radioactive material,' Mazey said. 'It contains hazardous heavy metals -- uranium, niobium, radium 226, cadmium, arsenic, selenium, silver and manganese.' — Nairn and Hyman Mayor Amy Mazey 'It contains hazardous heavy metals -- uranium, niobium, radium 226, cadmium, arsenic, selenium, silver and manganese.' In April, both ministries provided the township with a massive report filled with technical and scientific details. So the township hired environmental consultants Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd. to interpret the report -- and determine what science was missing. That information was presented to residents on Monday, who were then asked for feedback and suggestions on what to do next. Mazey said there are eight studies missing from the report. 'The two most important are a cumulative risk assessment -- what's going to happen when you put uranium tailings on top and niobium tailings together,' she said. Nairn and Hyman Residents in Nairn and Hyman learned last summer that the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Mines were planning to move 18,000 cubic metric tonnes of niobium radioactive materials from Nipissing First Nation to the tailings area at Agnew Lake. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News) 'What will happen? And also a drainage study -- so where is the water going to go, how is it going to leech? All of those things that were outlined that should have been done already, we just haven't seen them.' Township CAO Belinda Ketchabaw said what it boils down to is that the province wants to put radioactive materials in a lake that's already struggling. '(Agnew Lake) site is already in crisis, and they want to bring in more radioactive material to 'fix' the site,' Ketchabaw said. 'It doesn't really add up to me. When the science isn't there, there's no trust. We need to trust what is best for our community.' Safe outcome Ketchabaw said they've learned that some of the niobium material will be taken to a Clean Harbors facility near Sarnia, made for hazardous waste. She said it raises the question that if the material is hazardous enough to be sent to this facility, shouldn't it all be sent there? 'Let's just bring it all there and have a safe outcome for everyone,' Ketchabaw said. Furthering distrust, Mazey said the two ministries often give the community contradictory information. 'It just raises a lot of red flags,' she said. 'I hope that the Ontario government listens to the residents and takes us seriously that this isn't an easy fix ... Just because this is the most convenient solution for the province, it doesn't mean that it's the best solution.' Margaret Lafromboise, who lives close to the Spanish River, said she's concerned about having 'an unsafe radioactive site increased in volume.' 'I think the most constructive and practical thing to do would be to see if the municipality could get financial help to hire a lawyer and initiate an injunction to stop the action immediately,' Lafromboise said. 'As a society, as a province, we are not taking good enough care of our environment, the water and I don't believe our current government is willing to take the action that is required.' Representatives from the provincial ministries were not invited to Monday's town hall. 'When they came to our first meeting, all they did was say 'this is safe,' 'this is gravel.' I don't want to hear that, I want science,' Ketchabaw said. Mazey said they've been told trucks will begin hauling the radioactive material from Nipissing First Nation to the Agnew Lake site in mid-August. 'I hope that we can stop them,' she said.
Al Arabiya
01-07-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
India sends geologists to Zambia to explore copper and cobalt deposits: Sources
India has dispatched a team of geologists to Zambia to explore copper and cobalt deposits, two Indian government sources said, as New Delhi steps up efforts to secure critical mineral supplies essential to its energy transition. The Zambian government this year agreed to allocate 9,000 square km (3,475 square miles) to India for the exploration of cobalt - a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones - as well as for scouting copper, which is widely used in power generation, electronics, and construction. The exploration project will last for three years and most of the analysis will be done in laboratories in India, one of the sources said. The team is expected to make multiple visits over the course of the entire project, said the sources, who declined to be identified because the information is not public. After assessing the mining potential, the Indian government will seek a mining lease from the Zambian government and may also invite private-sector companies to participate in the project, the sources said. India's Ministry of Mines did not respond to a request for comment. New Delhi has been in talks with several African countries to acquire critical mineral blocks on a government-to-government basis, while also exploring opportunities in Australia and Latin America. India is also in discussions with the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign an initial agreement to secure supplies of cobalt and copper, Reuters reported in March. An Indian delegation attended a mining conference in Congo last month and toured local mines, the ministry said in a post on X. India has held internal discussions over its growing vulnerability to a tightening global copper market and plans to explore ways to secure supply from resource-rich countries during ongoing trade negotiations, Reuters reported last week. India's copper imports have risen sharply since the 2018 closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper smelter. The country imported 1.2 million metric tons of copper in the fiscal year ending March 2025, up 4 percent from the previous year. India is almost entirely dependent on cobalt imports and shipments of cobalt oxide rose 20 percent in 2024/25 to 693 metric tons, government data showed.
Zawya
30-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Sudan's Minister of Mines to Showcase E&P Prospects at African Mining Week (AMW) 2025
Martin Gama Abucha, Minister of Mines of South Sudan, has joined the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference as a speaker. Minister Abucha will take part in the Ministerial Forum, where he will share insight into South Sudan's policy frameworks, investment incentives and infrastructure plans aimed at unlocking the full potential of the country's mining sector. As South Sudan seeks to increase mining investments and drive projects forward, AMW provides an ideal platform for Minister Abucha to outline the country's commitment to enhancing cooperation with global public and private stakeholders to build a robust and competitive mining value chain. As the premier gathering for mining stakeholders in Africa, the event connects global financiers and project developers with African mining opportunities, facilitating collaboration and deal-signing. Insights shared by Minister Abucha will support future deals. African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@ Under Minister Abucha's leadership, South Sudan's Ministry of Mines has been accelerating geological mapping to identify exploration hotspots and reduce investment risk. In April 2025, the Ministry hosted a delegation from Qatar, including government officials and mining investors, to discuss opportunities in seismic studies, gold refining and the extraction of lead and critical minerals. The meeting follows Qatari firms such as United Gold investing across South Sudan to establish gold marketing stations. The stations aim to formalize artisanal mining by integrating informal production into the formal economy. Collaborations are also underway with South Africa to leverage the country's mining expertise, investment portfolio and technology to better understand South Sudan's mineral landscape. Other partnerships include with Russia's ROSGEO, the U.S.-based REE-Magnesium and Canada's CVMR to map the country's mineral resources and better understand the geology. In November 2024, South Sudan's national oil company Nilepet announced the discovery of critical minerals following a geological survey conducted in the first half of 2024 and revealed plans to establish a national mining company to support sector growth. Amid these developments, AMW 2025 offers a timely opportunity for Minister Abucha to engage with global geoscience firms, mining investors and African stakeholders to forge new partnerships and strengthen existing collaborations. AMW 2025 panel discussions and project showcases will position South Sudan as an emerging mining destination on the continent. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
Zawya
26-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
India government asks court to reject challenge to copper import curbs
The Indian government has rejected a claim by trade bodies that its move to impose quality control curbs on copper cathode imports would lead to a monopoly, as 10 foreign suppliers have obtained certification, a legal document showed on Thursday. India, the world's second-largest importer of refined copper, is defending its quality control measures in court against accusations that it would lead to supply shortages and create a monopoly of three domestic suppliers. In an over 160-page reply to the petitions by the Bombay Metal Exchange (BME) and the Bombay Non-Ferrous Metals Association, the government says their concerns on supply constraints are "misconceived and unfounded". "The implementation of the QCO has not led to any monopolistic practices of price distortion," said India's Ministry of Mines, as it asked for the rejection of the trade associations' legal challenge. The Bombay Metal Exchange, the Bombay Non-Ferrous Metals Association and the federal Ministry of Mines did not immediately respond to Reuters' emails seeking comments. The reply seen by Reuters adds that the quality control order was a regulatory measure aimed to safeguard consumer interests and applies equally to all entities whether they are domestic or foreign. "Foreign suppliers are not being barred... The regulation aims to enhance product reliability and safety, not restrict competition," it added. Copper is one of 30 critical minerals identified by India in 2023 and demand within the country is expected to double by 2030. The domestic supply is dominated by Hindalco Industries , Vedanta, Adani and the state-owned Hindustan Copper . Imports in the country have surged since 2018 after the closure of Vedanta's domestic Sterlite Copper smelter. Japan accounts for about two-thirds of India's refined copper imports, followed by Tanzania and Mozambique. Among the 10 foreign suppliers who have secured the certification under the new rules, seven are from Japan, two from Malaysia and one from Austria, the Indian government's reply said. Bombay Metal Exchange President Sandeep Jain told Reuters last month that the trade body was "compelled to seek judicial intervention" as the government did not defer the implementation of the quality control orders, and the measure had led to supply shortages. (Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi, editing by Ed Osmond)
