SYDNEY: Reopening the Donkin mine will mean a source of long-term local employment, participants in Sydney’s annual Port Days heard Thursday. Ed Griffith, vice-president with Kameron Coal, which is working to reopen the mine, provided an update on the effort as part of his involvement in a Port Days panel discussion at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion.
U.S. mining giant the Cline Group LLC gained full control of the Donkin mine after purchasing a 75 per cent majority stake in the operation from Glencore Xstrata PLC and a 25 per cent interest from Morien Resources Corp. The mine is owned by Kameron Collieries, a Halifax subsidiary of the Cline Group.
“We say our most important asset is our workforce,” Griffith said. “This will be a Cape Breton coal mine, this will be run by Cape Bretoners, manned by Cape Bretoners.” He noted there are currently 46 people employed at Donkin, a number that would grow to 135 at full production, with most of them being natives of Cape Breton. Tunnel rehabilitation work at the mine site should be completed this summer, with production beginning late this year.
Nova Scotia Labour Minister Kelly Regan recently offered assurances that any mining will be done safely, in response to media reports raising concerns about a official who had previously operated a West Virginia mine that exploded six years ago, killing 29 miners. That man, Chris Blanchard, is no longer involved with plans to reopen Donkin.
