Toxic waste project on hold amid environmental concerns and unified resistance from area leaders

By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Manitoulin Expositor AGNEW LAKE—The contentious plan to transport niobium tailings to the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area (ALTMA) has been halted for further environmental assessment following a united outcry from both First Nations and local municipalities over a lack of consultation. A recent town hall meeting in Nairn Centre underscored the anxiety surrounding the project, which seeks to ship approximately 34,000 tonnes of processed niobium tailings to a site with a history of uranium mining. Chief Rodney Nahwegahbow of Whitefish River First Nation articulated the concerns of his community, stating, “Nairn Centre is in the heart of our traditional territory. We should have been consulted long before any plans were made public.” His sentiments reflect the deep-rooted frustration among First Nations…

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