If you live in New Brunswick, you know the province has a deep mining history. Now, a US based company plans to turn an abandoned mining site into a profitable cleanup operation. The provincial government signed an exploration deal with Regeneration Enterprises to extract minerals from the closed Nigadoo mine site in northern New Brunswick.

According to a report by CTV News, the company will pull metals from rock and chemical waste left at the site. Regeneration Enterprises will fund the environmental cleanup of the mine using the revenue generated from selling these metals.

A Win for Taxpayers and the Environment

Regeneration Enterprises managing director Michael McPhie says the company is not asking for provincial funding during any phase of the project. The project saves taxpayer dollars because the company takes over the degrading site from the provincial government.

Provincial Natural Resources Minister John Herron notes this is the exact type of investment New Brunswick wants to attract to revive the local mining industry.

“This project will convert something that has been a liability for decades and turn it into new investment, good jobs and a cleaner site,” Herron said in a statement.

Extracting Value from Waste

Production at the Nigadoo mine near Bathurst first started in 1956. The mine permanently shuttered in 1977 after repeated closures. Today, the site sits as a degrading liability for the province. Regeneration Enterprises sees untapped potential in the ground and plans to fix the problem.

McPhie told reporters at a Fredericton mining conference that his company plans to extract zinc, lead, germanium, gallium, indium, silver and copper from the abandoned mine. A crew heads to the site in the coming days to conduct tests and determine project feasibility.

The company expects results within one year and plans to start production within two to three years. Regeneration is a social enterprise company backed by Apple and Caterpillar. The organization focuses on recovering metals from old mines and restoring the land.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Regeneration Enterprises?

Regeneration Enterprises is a US based social enterprise backed by companies like Apple and Caterpillar. They focus on recovering metals from old mines and restoring the surrounding land.

Where is the Nigadoo mine located?

The Nigadoo mine is located in northern New Brunswick near Bathurst.

Will this project cost New Brunswick taxpayers money?

No. The company is not asking for provincial funding. They plan to fund the environmental cleanup using the revenue generated from selling the extracted metals.

What minerals will the company extract?

The company plans to pull zinc, lead, germanium, gallium, indium, silver and copper from the rock and chemical waste left at the site.