Potential Economic Effects of the Ajax Mine - Questions submitted to Environmental Assessment Office during Public Comment Period

In the right-hand column of the Proposed Ajax Mine Project, under the heading… "Information Sources and Assessment Methods," the proponent describes “economic information that will be collected.” The third bullet point under this heading makes reference to one source of this information as being a… "Literature review of similar studies and projects.”

1. What literature is being referred to?

2. What communities are being referred to and what information has been learned in this regard?

3. If literature of this kind has not been provided as yet, what follow-up is anticipated to ensure any models relied upon by the proponent, reflect real life circumstances and experience in similar situations?

7.1 Labour Force

1. Of the 500 jobs which the mine promises to deliver to this community, how many jobs will be dedicated to professionals such as chemists, geologists, engineers etc.?

2. How many of the jobs promised will require previous experience, training or certification in various aspects of hard rock mining?

3. How many jobs will actually be provided to residents of Kamloops with no previous experience in mining?

4. What are those jobs?

5. Komatsu has begun marketing GPS systems for ore carriers and excavators, which operate in a closed environment without human drivers or operators.

6. Will KGHM Ajax commit in writing, that they will not replace any drivers or operators with GPS or computerized operating systems and thereby commit to protect all of the jobs that they currently promise to bring to the Kamloops economy?

7. If not, how many workers would be displaced in the event that computer/GPS operating systems are employed?

8. Of the jobs projected, have any been promised to members of the KamloopsIndian Band or other members of the aboriginal community, and if so, whatpercentage?

7.4 Employment

A total of 145 of the 500 direct jobs to be created during the operation of the mine arehaul truck drivers. The Rio Tinto West Angelas Mine in Australia is operating driverlesshaul trucks by remote control, and the mining industry in general is looking at the use ofremote control haul trucks as a means of reducing labour costs and labour shortages.

1.Is KGHM Ajax considering the use of remote control haul trucks?

2.If not, why not?

7.5 Business

Many people living in Kamloops are not dependent on local employment, byvirtue of being employed elsewhere, or being retired.

1. How many residents in Kamloops will relocate from the city due to theconstruction and operation of the mine?

2. What will be the effects on business due to this relocation?

3. How will this affect population growth projections?

7.7 Housing

1. A study in Tennessee concluded that property values tended to decrease as theproximity to open pit mines decreased. With regard to similar open pit minesin Canada and the United States, what is the spatial relationship of residentialproperty values for similar homes (age, size, construction cost) and property sizesin relation to distance from the mine?

2.What other existing communities have had new open pit mine development occurwithin 5 kilometres of these communities?

3.What have been the effects on property values in spatial and temporal terms forthese communities?