Since mining development in Canada is a provincial responsibility, the Government of Newfoundland is also directly involved. Wanting to maximize their financial benefits, this government recently changed its mining laws to state that all minerals mined in the province must be smelted and refined there. Royalities and taxation are also provincially determined.
Initial construction work on the Long Harbour Processing Plant began in April 2009 after successful development of a hydrometallurgical processing flowsheet at the Argentia Demonstration Plant. The Processing Plant will utilize state-of-the-art hydromet technology to process nickel concentrate from the Voisey’s Bay Operation. Construction at Long Harbour is expected to be completed in February 2013.