What’s at stake
Some facts and figures about a massive mining deposit in northern Ontario known as the Ring of Fire: ❚ It is located 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, in the traditional territories of several First Nations. The area boasts one of the last intact, original forests on the planet. Its muskeg is notoriously difficult to build on. The wetlands are home to half of Canada’s largest rivers. The area supports many species at risk, including lake sturgeon, bald eagles, yellow rails, black terns, woodland caribou and wolverines. The massive expanse of peat is a major carbon sink for Canada. ❚ Chromium is the Ring of Fire’s main claim to fame, but there are also proposals to mine nickel and hopes for copper, zinc, gold and palladium. There are about 100 mining companies with holdings in the Ring of Fire, but only 35 are actively exploring and just two have actually proposed mining. ❚ About 14 per cent of the world’s chromium is consumed in the United States, although there is almost no domestic production. About 70 per cent of the world’s chromium reserves are in South Africa and Zimbabwe, with additional resources in Finland, Kazakhstan, Turkey, India and Brazil. The Ring of Fire deposits represent the most significant chromite discovery in North America and possibly one of the largest in the world. ❚ Chromite ore containing chromium is used to make ferrochrome, the “stainless” in stainless steel. It has a high melting point, high corrosion resistance and when exposed to air it reacts to form a protective oxide surface layer that prevents rusting. ❚ China buys about half the world’s ferrochrome. The global market for ferrochrome is dominated by South Africa, Kazakhstan and India. It is also supplied through recycling.