KLUSCAP: protection from mining underway . . .

KLUSCAP: protection from mining underway . . .

Postby Oscar » Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:37 am

Efforts underway to protect the Kluscap Wilderness Area in Cape Breton from being mined

[ https://canadians.org/blog/efforts-unde ... eing-mined ]

November 20, 2017 - 6:57 pm

The Mining Association of Nova Scotia wants Liberal premier Stephen McNeil and his provincial government to ease 'Parks and Protected Areas Plan' regulations so it can explore 154 known mineral occurrences that are on protected land on Cape Breton Island.

Yesterday, the Cape Breton Post reported, "One of those potential projects [the Kellys Mountain project] is an aggregate deposit in Victoria County that is completely covered by the Kluscap Wilderness Area."

Kellys Mountain is located about 100 kilometres east of Inverness and about 380 kilometres north of Halifax.

Council of Canadians organizer Robin Tress says, "People fought off a mining company that wanted to make a quarry in the middle of Kluscap/Kellys Mountain 20 years ago and now the mining industry is trying again."

The Waycobah First Nation know Kellys Mountain as Kluscap Mountain and oppose exploration in this area that is sacred to the Mi’kmaq people.

As if sacred land can be swapped, the Mining Association of Nova Scotia is proposing an offsetting plan. It says, "A 'land swap' mechanism should be added to the protected lands regulatory regime. This would allow mining and quarrying companies to access protected land by purchasing land of at least equal size and ecological value outside of the protected areas and arranging for it to be protected instead."

So far, the provincial government appears to be saying no to the mining association.

On November 8, the Chronicle Herald reported, "A campaign by the Mining Association of Nova Scotia to gain access to wilderness areas is getting a cold shoulder from government — again. 'Land-swap proposals are not being considered by government at this time', said Bruce Nunn, spokesman for the Natural Resources Department, in a written response to The Chronicle Herald."

But there is still concern.

A Facebook page event page says, "The Mining Association of Nova Scotia recently released a report stating that Cape Breton is being disproportionately harmed by the provincial government’s Parks and Protected Areas Plan, which limits or prevents mining on development on 154 known mineral occurrences on the island. One of those potential projects is an aggregate deposit in Victoria County that is completely covered by the Kluscap Wilderness Area." As such, Reclaim Turtle Island is calling for a 'Kellys Mountain Blockade' on Saturday November 25.

The Council of Canadians stands in solidarity with those who seek to protect the land and water from harm.

Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
Oscar
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