TERRACE — The $250 million coal mining -pro- "ject near Stewart proposed -by Gulf Minerals ‘is ‘waiting for B.C. :govern- ‘ment approval and a con- -firmed contract from its major ‘buyer, the South Korean home heating market, . ‘Af it goes ahead, the Mt- Klappan anthracite coal project: is expected -to- employ nearly 700 people to produce 1.5 «million | metric tons of coal an- nually for a minimum of | 20 years, The yearly value of. the mine to the North- west economy is estimated at more-than $20 million. Gulf recently filed its Stage II report with the B.C. Mines Steering Com- mittee, and the massive — five-volume summary is -now. available ‘in the reference section of the Terrace Public Library. _ Senior project advisor ‘Bob Morrison was recent- ly in Terrace to speak to a. public’ meeting about Guif’s plans for develop- ing the mine, and he ad- vised the audience of about 50 people he will be returning in June after in- _ terested groups and in- | dividuals have had an op- portunity to digest the glut of information in the . ‘Stage Ii report. The operation will be a conventional. open pit (strip) mine using physical and mechanical processes to finish-a type of coal bri- vette ‘intended for omestic heating in ‘western Europe and Korea. The mine’s pro- _ duction will be shipped to the port of Stewart by 45 ton trucks and loaded on- to ships. A camp at. the minesite will provide ac- commodation for 430 workers who will com- mute by bus from existing communities in the North- west on one-week rota- tions. ‘The. mine will: operate on 12 hour shifts “seven days a week, 364 days a year. ‘Morrison told. the Ter- ‘race audience that the government ‘seems positive’’ up to this point regarding Gulf’s develop- ment proposals, but ‘he declined to discuss - negotiations with the Korean interests, saying only that Gulf has a> -deadline in early July to conclude the terms. = - Although Northeast Japanese steel industry went sour and the com- . involved are now | selling coal at a net loss, Morrison said Gulf has no fears of similar problems arising in the Mt, Klappan | ‘project. “They were sell- ing metallurgical coal, and their sales dropped when . -general “ economic’ activity for ‘the skilled trades. “mine waits for | _ decisions from Victoria and Seoul ‘the bottom. fell out: of the contractors: who. ‘come ‘in steel. market,” he said. will bring their” own “We're going to be selling workers, he said. POWER SOURCE to a home heating market, a market that’s gradually -increasing demand ‘while supplies are- falling off.”” The Korean - ‘market, he said, is. ‘absolutely “necessary to’ the economic viability: of the:mine. “Morrison inferred the - -high-quality: low-sulphur ‘Klappan will enter a market with. minimum competition: e coal from Mt. Other major deposits are ‘being mined in China and § ‘the USSR, but nearly their . entire ‘production is con- . sumed domestically. There are -no other an- thracite miiies in. Canada. LOCAL ‘HIRE POLICY ‘The communities.in the © immediate area of the mine .willgain the: most . J benefit from employment - Soon walt at Mt. Klap- | ‘Qualified workers from Iskut, Dease Lake, and Telegraph Creek will | be given first ‘shot at jobs if the project. becomes a “reality. *~ ‘Stewart residents will be next in line for mine jobs, . and: truck’ drivers in the port town will be given -preference because Gulf's transportation operations . will locate at: its shipping terminal. ‘Morrison said - trucking may be through . independent’ contractors or by company owned trucks; Gulf hasn’t yet made a. decision on that 3 ~ aspect of operations. § - The job-creation factors . | for ° Terrace, Morrison said, are estimated':to be 25 direct jobs for current residents, 40 workers from . outside the region who will locate permanently in Terrace, 35 indirect jobs created -by demand on local suppliers. -of goods . . ‘and services, and 40 “in- ” duced’’ jobs | that will . come about as a result of a increase in community. ‘During ‘the two-year construction phase Gulf will employ. a peak workforce of about: 975 tradespeople, 20 percent of. whom will probably be Northwest. residents. Mor- rison ‘admitted the figures may overestimate ‘the number of “workers re- quired: from outside the region. The estimates are based ‘on data obtained & ‘ftom Canada’ Employ- Coal’s contract with the . - which may not reflect. the ment Centres in the region full..extent .of .available Morrison also pointed out that mine construction is a special- ized set of fields and there are no contractors in the Northwest large enough to handle the scope of work being proposed many Gulf has been urged ‘by Terrace Review - — - Wednesday, My 13,15 UNDECIDED More than 60 Tarrace area residents attended a recent public meeting In the Bavarian | Inn tohear about developments at Gulf Coal’s Mount Klappan anthracite project north of Stewart. 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