Alternatives North responds to criticisms of Giant Mine Project

The Giant Mine Remediation Project recently found itself under the political microscope after an op-ed was posted by the Conservative Shadow Minister for Northern Affairs and Arctic Sovereignty.

Bob Zimmer called the Remediation Project a “lesser-known but shocking example of Liberal government mismanagement.”

Zimmer claims that the project has been evading oversight for several years and has suffered no consequences for doing so. Chief among his criticism is that the budget for remediation has far exceeded its originally estimated cost of $1 billion, and now sits at $4.4 billion.

He stated: “This is business as usual for our current federal government where cost and outcomes are secondary to keeping problems quiet. And that is exactly what the project’s operations team is doing, keeping quiet even when directly asked for information by the project’s oversight board.”

Coming to the project’s defense is Karen Hamre, a spokesperson for Alternatives North.

Hamre touched on the more nuanced approach required to deal with the environmental risks of the former Mine in a responsible manner.

“While we share the concern for transparency and accountability, the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of deadly arsenic cannot be moved safely or allowed to reach nearby Great Slave Lake. So far, the only solution we have is to freeze it underground forever,” she stated in a release.

“The original estimate of about $1 billion was the best guess at the time for remediating this site. Unfortunately, as more technical assessments were done, it became clear that the federal government had massively underestimated the problems related to stabilization and management. The project’s cost is now projected to be $4.4 billion, merely to contain, not fix, the arsenic problem.”

Zimmer compares the Giant Mine project to other political disputes, but Hamre states that such comparisons are unhelpful to the discourse. She states that the remediation project deals with “many decades of poor regulation, lethal materials, and limitations of technologies that must work for centuries.”

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There is some agreement to be found, however.

Zimmer raises concerns with how money is being spent in certain aspects of the project, namely in regards to employee training.

Hamre responds by saying “We agree with Mr. Zimmer that the public deserves a better accounting of how the money has been, and will be, spent.”

“Alternatives North strongly supports the continuation of the independent oversight by the Giant Mine Oversight Board. We agree with GMOB’s calls for faster progress and clearer government responses. Oversight only works when recommendations are acted upon.”

Hamre then reiterates the core principals that Alternatives North values, those being safety of people and the land, transparency in reporting, independent oversight, Indigenous involvement, and long-term support.

“This project must not be a political football, it must be a shared commitment to doing what is right, not just for now, but for generations to come. We need to be prepared and trained for long-term local management and maintenance.”

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