Cliffs meeting 'productive,' mayor says

Mayor Marianne Matichuk called the recent meeting with Cliffs Natural Resources “productive,” but said in a press release that details of the meeting will not be made public.

Matichuk joined city staff earlier this week to exchange information with Cliffs at a preliminary meeting to address the proposed site for the ferrochrome production facility. Chromite is mined, processed and refined to ferrochrome, a product sold to producers of stainless steel.

Cliffs has stated on its website that the plan is begin production in 2015. At full capacity, the ferrochrome production facility will produce 1,500 tons of ferrochrome per day.

“The meeting was productive, and it was a great opportunity to meet with the Cliffs team,” Matichuk said in a press release. Respecting business practices and the fact that Cliffs is still evaluating various site options, details of the meeting cannot be disclosed, she said.

Cliffs identified in a project description summary dated February 2011 that the potential site for the ferrochrome production facility is located near Wahnapitae First Nation, although the location of the ferrochromite smelter is still in its infant planning and location stages. The city will continue to liaise with Cliffs as they continue their deliberations.

The choice on the smelter will be a Cliffs' business decision, but to date no decision has been made, as it is still early in the process, Matichuk said.

Cliffs Natural Resources acquired the Black Thor chromite deposit in 2010, which is located in the McFaulds Lake or Ring of Fire area of northern Ontario, according to Cliffs' website.

The closest major city is Thunder Bay, approximately two hours by air to the southwest. The nearest industrial facilities are the Victor Diamond Mine, located 150 km to the east, and the Musselwhite Gold Mine, located 300 km to the west.

-Posted by Heidi Ulrichsen