AUNDECK OMNI KANING—Local First Nations and MPP Bill Rosenberg join the Township of Nairn and Hyman in applauding the province of Ontario’s announcement of a change in plans that would have seen several thousand tonnes of Niobium tailings shipped to a former uranium tailings site near Nairn Centre. They are also pleased that government has also given its assurances that the Agnew Lake Tailings area will be receiving more attention and that any radioactive leaks from the existing uranium tailings are resolved.
“We are happy they are not shipping these uranium tailings close to Manitoulin Island, and it’s a good decision for Nairn Centre and Hyman,” stated Patsy Corbiere, Chief of Aundeck Omni Kaning (AOK) and chair of the UCCMM First Nations Tribal Council.
“I went to the original meeting that had been held with the local residents; there were a lot of technical people talking over people’s heads about how positive it was going to be to haul this to Nairn,” said Chief Corbiere. “I gave them a blast, telling them that it was a crock of crap. All they were trying to do is railroad people into believing it was a good thing.”
“It is a good thing they are not shipping the tailings to the Agnew Lake (Tailings Management Area), and that they are going to take action to fix (any radioactive leaks from) the existing uranium tailings,” said Chief Corbiere. “Fixing the site should have been done first, before any other action was going to be considered.”
A resolution had been passed by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Chiefs of Ontario and the Anishinabek Nation for the province to pause their plans until appropriate consultation and accommodation, including the provision of adequate data was completed.
MPP Bill Rosenberg said he is happy with the government change in plans and said, “The message from the Ministry of Energy and Mines that they are going to undertake to treat the current Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area with covering and repairs of the site so there is no runoff, regular maintenance activities, and maintenance work to be done on the East Barrier Dyke and the South Ditch, with construction work to begin in summer 2026 is also very good news.”
In a letter to Tribal Chair Corbiere on August 11, Marc J. Stewart, senior manager, Abandoned Mines Program Mine Rehabilitation Section with the Ministry of Energy and Mines wrote, “I am writing to provide an important update regarding the relocation of niobium rock tailings originally planned for the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area (ALTMA), as well as upcoming work at the site. Our government sincerely appreciates the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s (CNSC) diligent work and approval of the Soils Management plan received on July 29.”
“In communication with Nipissing First Nation and the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has revised the plan to move niobium rock tailings and will no longer be moving this material to the ALTMA site,” wrote Mr. Stewart. “MEM will pursue an alternate plan to fulfill its CNSC licencing obligations for the ALTMA site. The required cover repair will now be completed using conventional clean pit run rockfill, rather than the original proposal to use the niobium rock tailings. Preliminary work is already underway to implement this approach for the required cover repair.”
“In addition to the cover repair, MEM will be undertaking several other important activities at the ALTMA site: a dam safety review (DSR) is scheduled for the fall. The findings from this review will inform the final engineering designs; engineering designs for these maintenance activities are currently being developed by MEM engineers; concurrent to work on the cover, other maintenance work will be completed on the East Barrier Dyke and the South Ditch. Construction work is tentatively scheduled to begin in summer 2026. The replacement of the Ministic Creek water crossing is also planned for summer 2026 and may temporarily interrupt work at the ALTMA site. If construction cannot be completed by fall 2026, remaining work will be carried over into 2027. MEM will continue routine maintenance and monitoring activities, including vegetation clearing and seasonal surface and groundwater sampling. Additional studies and monitoring programs recommended by the Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment may also be implemented in 2026.”
The government’s change in plans follows a roughly year-long battle by the Township of Nairn and Hyman to get answers to the original plan to truck old niobium tailings from the old Beaucage Mine near the Nipissing First Nation to the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area about 25 kilometres north of Nairn Centre.
Township of Nairn and Hyman CAO Belinda Ketchabaw told Sudbury.com the community was happy to get a former letter outlining the change in plans. “The Township of Nairn and Hyman and the Township of Baldwin are pleased to share important news: the (MEM) has provided written confirmation that niobium rock tailings from the former Beaucage Mine will not be transported or deposited at the Agnes Lake Tailings Management Area.”
The trucking project will now see the 34,000 tonnes of material being hauled from Nipissing First Nation to a provincially approved hazardous waste site located near Sarnia.
Amy Mazey, the Mayor of Nairn and Hyman, said in a release, “I am personally thrilled with this announcement and on behalf of the community I would like to thank the provincial government for listening to our grave concerns. This has been a difficult time in our area, but we have put in the effort, supported our stand with science and pulled together as a community. The two ministries heard our concerns and have chosen the safest path forward for everyone involved, the process worked.!”
MP Jim Belanger in a Facebook post August 13 stated, “Good news for our community!
Thanks to the tireless advocacy of the people of Nairn Centre and Hyman, the province has decided to send the radioactive niobium waste, to a more appropriate facility elsewhere in Ontario. It was a pleasure working alongside Mayor Mazey and the staff of the Township of Nairn and Hyman, who worked tirelessly to find a solution. I would also like to thank MPP Bill Rosenberg for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.”
“This decision means major remediation at Agnew Lake will move forward with clean materials, protecting our environment and drinking water,” continued MP Belanger. “Together, we’ve shown that when communities raise their voices, we can make real change.
