Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I’d like to ask the Minister some questions around a mine that straddles the Yukon/NWT border owned by Northern American Tungsten, and that’s the Cantung Mine. It’s reported that the Cantung Mine is going to be closing next month, at the end of October, and there is going to be a loss of jobs, certainly, when the mine closes. There’s going to be a loss of resource revenues to us, and particularly my concern is that there’s going to be a cost to the government environmentally.
My first question to the Minister is: It is my understanding that the Cantung Mine is now a responsibility of the NWT, whereas it’s been federal jurisdiction up until devolution. So, I’d like to ask the Minister if that’s correct.
Who has responsibility for the Cantung Mine? Did it come over to us as a responsibility to the NWT in devolution? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are issues with the Cantung Mine. They’ve filed for creditor protection and there’s a lot of work underway with the involved governments to work through the process of what that would mean to make sure that we protect our interests. Thank you.
Thank you. I didn’t hear an answer to the question as to whose responsibility it is, and the Minister mentioned several governments. I guess I have to ask again, is the mine a responsibility of the NWT government or is it the responsibility of the federal government? Thank you.
We’re engaged in discussions with the Government of Canada over the potential that they could be filing for bankruptcy, and abandonment of the mine could lead to an agreement to transfer the mine to Canada.
If I heard the Minister correctly, then, if the mine does close permanently, because I understand this is a temporary closure, but if it closes permanently and they go bankrupt, they’re some $79 million in debt, from what I understand. I heard the Minister say that the mine will be transferred back to the federal government. I’d like to get him to confirm that.
The operative word at this point is it “could.” There are court proceedings that are underway; there’s discussion between the governments as well as following through the process as it’s laid out for this type of proceedings. That is part of the discussion that has to be resolved.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, I think I kind of heard the Minister tell me to hurry up and wait. Once the report is done, then we might maybe know whether or not we’re going to be responsible for the mine.
So, if we are responsible for the mine, what financial security is in place now, either with us or with the federal government, to look after the mine once it’s closed for us to reclaim the land and for us to do the environmental cleanup as required?
Thank you. The amount of security that’s posted is $11.6 million.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
