LIM breakthough

Enviromine

Publishing Date: 07 Sep 2010 4:23pm GMT
Author: Mining, People and the Environment

Corporate Social Responsibility CSR Legal and Legislation

Labrador Iron Mines Holding Ltd (LIM) has reached an agreement with First Nation (Innu) leaders in western Labrador and north-east Quebec to remove barriers that have been restricting access to the company's iron-ore projects around the town of Schefferville.

The agreement follows negotiations between LIM (owned 41% by Anglesey Mining plc), representatives of the Quebec Innu, and various federal and provincial government departments.

As a result, the governments of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs have each made certain commitments to the Innu.

For its part, LIM has joined with New Millennium Capital Corp to commit jointly to a number of local social activities, including education, training, health and youth programmes and, with government participation, improvements to the community-arena facility in Schefferville.

The Quebec Innu include Innu Matimekush-Lac (John Schefferville area) and Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam (Sept-Iles).

LIM will now 'fast track' its projects in western Labrador while seeking to sign impact benefits agreements with the two Innu groups.

However, the Sept-Iles group have, as expected, initiated legal action against the government of Newfoundland and Labrador regarding the Crown's duty of consultation with respect to permitting of LIM's Schefferville projects.