The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Reed mine has nearly cleared its final hurdle after the Manitoba government granted the controversial project an environmental permit. Hudbay received an Environmental Act License for Reed on Sept. 24, at which point opponents of the project were given 30 days to appeal. Brad Lantz, vice-president of Hudbay's Manitoba operations, called the license and the start of initial production at Reed 'good news' for the company and its partner in the project, VMS Ventures. 'Production will steadily increase throughout 2013 and reach commercial production levels early in 2014 and to capacity tonnage...later in 2014,' Lantz said. That capacity tonnage is 1,300 tonnes of ore per day _ the amount allowed by the Environmental Act License. Assuming the license is not revoked on appeal _ considered unlikely at this point _ Hudbay and VMS now have all government permits required to bring the Reed mine to full production. Hudbay has already mined a bulk sample of about 7,000 tonnes of ore under an exploration permit. A metallurgical batch test of 4,500 tonnes of ore was milled late last month at the Flin Flon concentrator. 'The receipt of the Environment Act Licence and the successful extraction of the bulk sample are both significant milestones for the project,' Neil Richardson, chief operating officer of VMS, said in a news release. 'The licence confirms the care and diligence taken by our (joint venture) partner and operator Hudbay in moving the project forward within mandated environmental guidelines while the extraction of the bulk sample project is the first step towards full production at Reed.' Full production at Reed remains on schedule to commence in first half of 2014. But that's assuming opponents of the mine do in fact lose a battle that is not quite over yet. Pukatawagan's Mathias Colomb Cree Nation vehemently opposes Reed, arguing that Hudbay is operating on its traditional territory without permission. Concerned Also in opposition is the Wilderness Committee, an environmental group concerned over Reed's impact on nature and the fact that it is located within the Grass River Provincial Park. As well, Manitoba's Green Party is concerned that the location of the mine and the exploration activities that have already taken place will disrupt the migration of woodland caribou. Reed is nowhere near as large or rich as 777 and Lalor, HudBay's flagship northern Manitoba finds, but it does promise a stable stream of high-grade copper. With an estimated lifespan of five years, the copper-rich Reed is expected to generate nearly 80 jobs at full production. Located about 50 kilometres west of Snow Lake, Reed is 70 per cent owned by Hudbay and 30 per cent by the Vancouver-based VMS.
