Northgate's Kemess North Project Takes Significant
Steps Forward
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(CCNMatthews - May 25, 2005) - Northgate
Minerals Corporation (TSX:NGX)(AMEX:NXG) is pleased to report two
significant advancements in the development of the Kemess North project.
- The appointment of the Joint Environmental Review Panel that will
review the development proposal for the Kemess North mine.
- The signing of a compensation agreement with the First Nations group
that holds trapping rights in the Kemess region.
Joint Environmental Review Panel Appointment
On May 19, 2005, the Honourable Stephane Dion, Minister of the
Environment, announced the three-member panel that will conduct the
joint federal-provincial review of the Kemess North gold-copper project.
The panel members are Carol Jones (Chair), a soil scientist specializing
in mine reclamation; Malcolm Scobie, a mining engineering professor;
and, Mark Duiven, a natural resource and community development
consultant. Additional biographical information on the panel members can
be found on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry at
www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/index_e.cfm, reference number 04-07-3394, or by
consulting the website of the British Columbia Environmental Assessment
Office at www.eao.gov.bc.ca.
Compensation Agreement with Trapline Holders
Northgate has signed a compensation agreement with members of the Fort
Connelly First Nation based in Bear Lake, who hold trapping rights in
the Kemess region. Under the terms of the agreement, the Trapline
Holders will receive annual compensation for disruption caused by the
potential development and operation of the Kemess North mine once the
mine comes into production. As part of the new agreement, the Trapline
Holders have agreed to participate in the on-going environmental review
of the Kemess North project. A similar agreement with these same
Trapline Holders, who work the only trapline impacted by the Kemess
operation, was signed in connection with the successful development of
the Kemess South mine in the late 1990s.
Ken Stowe, President and CEO, stated; "The appointment of the panel
members is a significant step forward in the approval process for the
Kemess North project. We look forward to completion of the review of the
project within the timelines outlined by the Federal and Provincial
governments in the Terms of Reference for the Panel. In addition, we are
very pleased to have reached a compensation agreement with the Trapline
Holders. We look forward to working closely with them during the
environmental assessment process to ensure that their local and
traditional knowledge and concerns are incorporated into the development
plans for Kemess North." |
