Fluorspar mine gets government loan

A fluorspar mine in St. Lawrence that has been closed for over 20 years will soon beoperating again thanks in part to a $17-million loan from the Newfoundland and Labrador government announced on Thursday.

The loan will be used to construct a deep-water marine terminal in the outer harbour of St. Lawrence. The project is expected to bring 370 construction jobs to the town over the next two years. Once in operation in two years the mine will also employ over a hundred full-time people.

The jobs and economic spin-offs will have a big impact on the town of St. Lawrence, said Canada Fluorspar general manager Phonce Cooper.

"Oh, it will be huge for the town," he said. "It means 150 jobs for people in the St. Lawrence and surrounding areas, not to mention the next two years of construction, where we will see a lot of contractors and people working very hard and making high wages in the community."

The mine is expected to be operational for the next 20 years or more, with an estimated contribution to the town's economy of $380 million.

The mine was operational from the 1930s to the 1970s. During that time, the mining process caused chemical-related lung disease in miners. This time around, Cooper said they are aware of the health risks, and efforts are being made to eliminate the possibility of harm to workers.

"The one major thing, I don't mind mentioning it, is radon gas," he said. "We didn't know, or they didn't know, years ago that it existed in the mine. Today, we know it exists in the mine, we know where it comes from and we know how to deal with it so ventilation is extremely important, ventilation and monitoring."