VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - May 17, 2011) -

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Northgate Minerals Corporation (News - Market indicators)(NYSE Amex:NXG) is pleased to announce that our Kemess South Mine has been awarded the 2010 Mining and Sustainability Award from the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) and the Ministry of Energy and Mines. The award was given out at this year's Mining Week Celebration held in Smithers, British Columbia.

"We are honoured to receive the 2010 Mining and Sustainability Award for our efforts at the Kemess South Mine" commented Harold Bent, Environmental Manager, Northgate Minerals Corporation. "We are very proud of our accomplishments in all aspects of our operation, including environment, employee and community engagement and production. More importantly, these accomplishments were achieved while maintaining the highest standards of safety and the environment. We would like to thank the MABC and the Selection Committee for this award in recognition of our achievements in responsible mining practices at the mine."

The Mining and Sustainability Award is a joint initiative of the MABC and the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Launched in 2005, the annual sustainability award recognizes groups and individuals who are committed to advancing and promoting sustainable development and responsible mining practices in the BC exploration and mining sector.

"As the mining sector embarks on a period of growth not seen in a generation, it is more important than ever to find new and better ways to dig the minerals that are critical to a clean and green economy out of the ground" stated Pierre Gratton, President and CEO of MABC. "This award is intended to celebrate those new and better ways and it is an honour to recognize both of this year's recipients for their leadership."

Responsible Mining Practices

At Northgate, our objective is to minimize our environmental footprint through implementing environmentally responsible practices through all phases of the mine-life cycle and to provide protection for the environment today and for future generations. We view effective management of the environmental effects of our operations as critical to our success as an organization. As Kemess South is being decommissioned, more than 60% of the land has already been reclaimed. Major reclamation efforts include:

• Completion of reclamation on the Tailings Dam downstream buttress zone;

• Over 95% completion of reclamation of the Waste Rock Dump;

• 100% completion of re-handle of the Ex-Pit PAG (potentially acid generating) waste rock into the open pit for permanent underwater disposal, with placement of overburden having been completed over the entire base pad;

• Over 70% completion of clean up of temporary ore stockpile pads, with the remainder to be completed with overburden placement by end of summer 2011;

• Placement of overburden, while clean up of stockpile and waste rock bases commence this summer;

• Construction activity on the spillway, which is scheduled for completion in the fall; and

• Development of a detailed pre-closure and post-closure monitoring and reporting program, which evaluates the success of vegetation growth and establishment, continued fish presence and utilization, water quality, long-term stability and safety of the closed site to ensure long-term reclamation success is achieved.

About the Kemess South Mine

Northgate has owned and operated the Kemess South Mine since 2000, transforming the operation into one of the most successful mines ever built in Canada. Mine production ended in March 2011, generating close to three million ounces of gold and 700 million pounds of copper.

Kemess South has been recognized as a leader in mining reclamation practices. In addition to the 2010 Mining and Sustainability award, the mine has also been awarded back-to-back Citations by the BC Technical & Research Committee in 2008 and 2009. This is the third time in the last nine years that the mine has been recognized for its outstanding and innovative reclamation efforts.

About Northgate

Northgate Minerals Corporation is a gold and copper producer with mining operations, development projects and exploration properties in Canada and Australia. Our vision is to be the leading intermediate gold producer by identifying, acquiring, developing and operating profitable, long-life mining properties. We have a robust three-year growth profile, targeting 350,000 ounces of gold in 2013. We expect to complete a Preliminary Assessment for the Kemess Underground Project by the summer, which will outline the economics and timeline for mining the current resources and could potentially extend the life of the Kemess camp. Kemess Underground contains an Indicated Resource of 136.5 million tonnes with 2.6 million ounces of gold and 861 million pounds of copper.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information:

This Northgate press release contains "forward-looking information", as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, concerning Northgate's future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "believes", "anticipates", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "plans" and variations of such words and phrases, or by statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "will", "could", "would" or "might", "be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which Northgate operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Northgate cautions that forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Northgate's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information, including, but not limited to gold and copper price volatility; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and interest rates; the impact of any hedging activities; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, between actual and estimated reserves and resources or between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; costs of production; capital expenditure requirements; the costs and timing of construction and development of new deposits; and the success of exploration and permitting activities. In addition, the factors described or referred to in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Northgate's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2010 or under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Northgate's 2010 Annual Report, both of which are available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com, should be reviewed in conjunction with the information found in this press release.

Although Northgate has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this press release is made as of the date of this press release, and Northgate disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law.

Cautionary Note to US Investors Regarding Mineral Reporting Standards:

The Corporation prepares its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of US securities laws. Terms relating to mineral resources in this press release are defined in accordance with National Instrument 43-101-Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects under the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. The Corporation uses certain terms, such as, "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources", "inferred mineral resources" and "probable mineral reserves", that the SEC does not recognize (these terms may be used in this press release and are included in the Corporation's public filings which have been filed with securities commissions or similar authorities in Canada).

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