risks
A “WORRYING”
ENVIRONMENTAL
HISTORY OF MINING COMPANIES
IN QUEBEC
The roadmap of mining experiences is, to date, rather “concerning”, to say the least: human errors, accidents, negligence, spills, illegal dumps, unfinished restorations. Unfortunately, concrete examples bear witness to this.
- Uncontrolled and “illegal” spills and discharges caused by human error, accidents, maintenance neglect, or water runoff during heavy rains or rapid snowmelt.
- Post-mining restoration of mining sites has frequently been deficient, when not altogether abandoned.
- Weak legislation, regulations, control mechanisms, inspections, and penalties that do not reflect the damage caused to the environment. These compensatory measures are in no way dissuasive.
- One need only think of the Quebec Iron Ore project at Bloom Lake near Fermont. The company requested and obtained authorization to fill 8 surrounding lakes with mine tailings, even though the BAPE (Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement) objected to this request.
“Very significant risks associated with mining projects”
IN THE PAST, RISKS HAVE BECOME “REALITY” FOR SEVERAL MINING PROJECTS
Discover our risks section.
