MiningWatch Canada

Mining in Remote Areas Issues and Impacts

a community primer Introduction Introduction

Produced for MiningWatch he mining industry plays a leading role in opening up re- Canada/Mines Alerte mote areas to industrial development. by the Environmental T Mining Council of British Mine development brings with it the promise of a wide range of Columbia benefits. The promoters of a new mine often point to the jobs May, 2001 that will be available, the power and transportation infrastruc- Research and writing: ture that will be created, or the new tax and other revenues that Lisa Sumi and Sandra Thomsen will be generated. Design and Layout: Nedjo Rogers For communities on the receiving end of mineral develop- MiningWatch Canada/ ment, however, there are also costs — potentially dramatic ones. Mines Alerte Suite 508, City Centre Building To respond effectively to the chal- impacts that are specific to or more 880 Wellington St. lenges of mineral development, com- serious at remote mines, such as the Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6K7 munities need the context and infor- impacts of roads and routes on intact Canada tel: (613) 569-3439 mation necessary to understand and ecosystems and on the aboriginal fax: (613) 569-5138 weigh the issues. communities whose livelihoods are email: [email protected] This booklet profiles major im- linked to the health of these areas. web: http://www.miningwatch.ca pacts associated with mines devel- This booklet is divided into four oped in remote areas. sections. The first deals with Envi- Contents In the past, development of min- ronmental Impacts, highlighting is- sues such as the effects of roads on Environmental Impacts 1 ing projects in remote areas of Can- ecosystems, and the various sources Exploration 1 ada (e.g., the far north) has been lim- of water pollution throughout the Mine Development 3 ited by the costs associated with Water Quality 6 transportation and infrastructure. mining process. The second section, Conclusions 10 By definition, remote areas may be Community Impacts, addresses con- Community Impacts 11 far from the nearest road or port and cerns related to the boom-bust na- Economics of Boom and Bust 11 power grid. However, as older ore ture of the mining industry, and how Social and Cultural Impacts 14 bodies are being depleted, mining that affects economic and social sta- Addressing Community Impacts 17 companies are increasingly looking bility of communities. Health and Health and Safety 18 to develop deposits located in less ac- Safety deals with the dangers posed Health Issues 18 cessible regions of the country. to workers in the mine environment, Safety 20 and broader community health im- The development of remote mines Conclusions 22 pacts. The final section examines the has implications for the environ- Environmental Assessment 23 role of Environmental Assessment in ments, for the communities and peo- Background 23 identifying and preventing or miti- ple who live nearby or use the re- Benefits of EA 24 gating potential impacts. Criticism of EA 24 sources there, and also for the mine Conclusions 29 workers who will be employed at In each section, summaries and references to relevant newspaper Case Studies these remote mine sites. There are and magazine articles are included. Innu and Voisey’s Bay 3 impacts associated with every stage Tailings Leaks at Faro 7 of mining, from exploration through Readers wanting a more detailed or Faro’s Economic Rollercoaster 12 to—and often beyond—closure. technical discussion of impacts can Need for Targetted Training 13 refer to the sources cited. Ross River, Yukon 15 Many of the impacts discussed in

The Dene Nation 16 this booklet, such as water pollution Arsenic Poisoning 19 and health effects, can occur at Tulsequah Chief 26 mines regardless of whether they are About MiningWatch Canada 31 remote or not. There are, however,

Contact Organizations 32 Printed by union labour at Fleming Printing, Victoria, BC i MiningWatch Canada

Environmental Impacts Environmental Impacts ining is a high stakes game in which many uncertainties still exist. The investors, the workers, the community Articles with underlined titles are M available as reprints from Mining- and the environment are exposed to a high level of risks. The Watch Canada.. question is, who benefits in the short term and the long term? Who really pays the price of development — the investors, the workers, the community or the environment? Deal reached to protect 1 Arctic wilderness sites The environmental impacts of mining can begin at the explo- (Globe & Mail , 01/14/97, A4) ration stage, long before the first truckload of ore is hauled to This quote comes from John Turner, ex-prime minister of Canada and legal the surface. Despite advances in technology the recent track re- representative for the World Wildlife cord of mining highlights many serious risks and impacts for the Fund (WWF) of Canada. In 1997, the WWF applied to the Federal Court for a people and the land where minerals are discovered. judicial review of the recommendations of the environmental assessment panel This section focuses on the impacts associated with Explora- that granted conditional approval to the tion, followed by a look at some of the major sources of environ- BHP’s Ekati diamond mine, 300 km northeast of Yellowknife. The organiza- mental impacts during the Mine Development stage. tion was concerned that the mine would be followed by several other develop- ments in the Central Arctic. The WWF effect on its immediate environment, withdrew their request when an agree- Exploration: the ment was struck with the federal gov- the cumulative effect of thousands of ernment, which, among other things, Edge of the Sword kilometres of geophysical grids cut committed the government to develop a through vegetation and surface soils plan for protected areas free of future “The geography and wild- mining and other industrial projects. ness of this land has shaped us can cause considerable erosion, sedi- all; it is a part of what it mentation and wildlife disturbance. Marshall, I.B. 1982. Mining, (2) 2 Land Use and the Environ- means to be Canadian and it ment: a Canadian Over- must not be lost in a reckless Recently, major discoveries of view (Environment Canada) rush for industrial re- mineral deposits have sparked explo- Diamonds in the rough — sources.” (1)* ration rushes in the northern regions of Canada.(3,4) For example, in 3 BHP's mine in Canada's The impacts from exploration Barrens has the potential tend to be spread thinly over a vast the three years follow- for causing big environmental area because the ini- ing the discovery of and social disruption (Globe & tial stages of explor a- a major diamond Mail, 04/27/96, B1, B3) deposit in 1990, Prospecting exploded after BHP dis- tion primarily involve covered diamonds in the Northwest Ter- surveying large tracts more that 20 mil- ritories. “So much exploration was tak- of land to identify po- lion hectares of ing place across the territory that local government offices ran out of metal tential mineral depos- land were staked in the Barren Lands of tags for staking claims, while lumber its. Relatively few of yards couldn’t keep up with the demand the deposits identified the Northwest Ter- for two-by-two posts used to mark the corners of a claim.” during exploration are ritories. This was more land than was Scientists worry the project will impact drilled, still fewer are caribou calving grounds and migration drilled intensively to de- staked there during paths. The fate of the herd and land lineate the deposit, and the previous half claims battles were two of the central century.(3) issues at the federal environmental and in the end, only a small technical hearings held throughout NWT number of sites are ever Similarly, in Labra- in February. At the hearings, scientists developed into mines. dor, more than also pointed out that the draining of lakes will kill 300 to 500 species of fish Although an individ- 250,000 claims were and other aquatic life in five lakes. ual exploration opera- staked following the Abandoned oil drums at explora- Diamond Field Re- tion may have little tion site, northern BC. *Article numbers refer to references and summaries given in the side columns.

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 1 sources Inc.’s Voisey’s Bay nickel dis- disposal of wastewater and sewage Environmental covery.(5) If even a small portion (e. at exploration camps can also pollute Impacts g., 1% = 2,500) of these claims are nearby streams. Subsequently, the actively explored, the influx of people wildlife, aquatic organisms and veg e- Raglan’s success sparks and equipment into otherwise unin- tation living in the polluted environ- 4 exploration boom in Nu n- habited or sporadically used areas (e. ment can be poisoned by these sub- avik (Nunatsiaq News, g., by First Nations) has the poten- stances. 07/30/98; http://www.nunatsiaq. com/archives/nunavut980731/ tial to greatly impact both the land Underground exploration work nvt80731_04.html) and its inhabitants. (“bulk sampling”) results in ore and Due to the success of Falconbridge’s The possibility of large-scale in- waste rock being deposited on the Raglan operation, mining companies are rushing to Nunavik after more mineral- dustrial development (such as the surface. Drainage through these rich deposits. construction of an on-site smelter, waste rock dumps or storage piles and associated roads and power can be a continuing source of sedi- Mineral exploration and 5 development at Emish lines) increases when a number of ments, heavy metals and acid to lo- (Voisey’s Bay): an intro- projects having a high potential to cal watercourses (these impacts will duction to the issues (1995) become producing mines are identi- be discussed in detail in the sub- This information comes from the Innu fied in a specific region. Among other section on Mine Development: Water Nation’s website, located at http://www. innu.ca/mining.html. things, the Innu are concerned that Quality). if development in their region pro- Clearing vegetation for rights-of- Diesel spill at Windy ceeds, new projects such as the Don- way and test drilling sites, removal 6 Craggy (Northern Miner, ner prospect will become more at- 09/19/94, p. 16) of overburden, as well as the estab- tractive, while older prospects like In 1994, there was an incident involv- lishment of stream crossings can re- ing a spill of diesel oil from a storage the Strange Lake rare-earth metals sult in considerable damage to the tank at the Windy Craggy property in deposit or the Brinex Kitts-Michelin northwestern BC. The spill was not re- soil. The resultant erosion can pro- uranium project, both initially aban- ported by property owner Geddes Re- duce significant sedimentation of sources; in fact, the company had to be doned for economic reasons, may be- informed of the spill by the BC Ministry come feasible.(5) lakes and streams (8), which can dis- of Environment, Lands and Parks. rupt fish habitat. Unfortunately, the impacts of

Labrador miners accused mineral exploration and develop- Globe & Mail 7 of littering ( , ment are too often considered in iso- Disturbance of the Land 12/19/95, B6) The town council in Goose Bay says lation. Furthermore, in many juris- Disturbance can result from grid- companies have abandoned thousands dictions there is no requirement to lines being cut through vegetation of fuel drums and propane cylinders conduct an environmental assess- during soil, from electromagnetic, across Labrador’s countryside. They called on the Newfoundland government ment of an exploration project. These magnetic and gravity surveys, and to stop mineral exploration companies issues will be discussed below in the from drilling. The location of these from turning their region into a garbage gridlines usually does not reflect dump. An environmental monitor for the Environmental Assessment section. Labrador Inuit Association reported five natural factors such as topography confirmed fuel spills, from barrels leak- and vegetation. This damages more ing into the ground to helicopters drop- Exploration Impacts vegetation than if trails were to fol- ping drums into the sea. He warned that low contours and bypass areas of the problem could worsen. “After many Pollution of these junior companies come in and particular natural importance. In Pollution during the exploration carry out a drilling program, when they the ecologically sensitive tundra of stage can stem from a variety of ac- pull out they’ll leave their stuff on the Labrador and the Arctic these scars land.” tivities and sources. can last for decades or more. Fuels, oils and drilling fluids can BHP Diamonds facing en- Exploration camps, set up to pr o- vironmental charges over spill or leak into soils (6) leading to 8 vide accommodations for workers, diamond mine (Canadian contamination of vegetation growing also result in soil and vegetation dis- Press Newswire, 06/19/00) on the site. Drilling can release natu- The owner of Canada's first diamond turbance. The extent of those effects, ral fluids, such as brines and natural mine has been charged with disturbing as well as problems associated with fish habitat in three lakes. gas to the surface. These contam i- the disposal of garbage and human BHP Diamonds Inc. is charged with nants can be washed into or depos- eight counts under the Fisheries Act. waste, will depend on the size and ited directly into streams, rivers, The alleged offences occurred during design of the camp. construction of the Ekati Mine, 300 kilo- lakes and seawater.(7) The improper Stripping of overburden to exam- 2 MiningWatch Canada Case study: Innu and Voisey’s Bay Environmental Impacts “Innu concerns include illegal harvesting by survey workers, siting of exploration metres northeast of Yellowknife. camps in areas of intensive Innu land use or cultural significance, and increased heli-

copter and airplane traffic over sensitive wildlife habitat or harvesting areas. Airborne Lake-area land use per- geophysical surveys in Labrador involve flying transects (usually no more than 250- 9 mit draws fire (Whitehorse 500 metres apart) over the claim block at altitudes of approximately 100 ft. above Star, 09/25/94, p.4) ground level. Innu hunters from Utshimassit (Davis Inlet) have already been ove r- A contentious land-use application in flown by survey helicopters in Sango Bay. In early May, both the Innu Nation and the the Yukon allowing Killer Gold to use Canadian Wildlife Service expressed serious concern over the impacts of aerial survey heavy equipment in an area where a caribou herd is threatened, drew criti- work on key wildlife, such as caribou and migratory birds. To date, nothing has been cism from environmental groups and done to effectively regulate these activities to protect wildlife.”(5) First Nations. The area is also a Dall sheep lambing area. Groups were angry that the federal government did not put ine the underlying bedrock is usually flights, flying altitude and type of the application through more a rigorous accomplished by digging by hand, aircraft. Also important are the screening, which would have allowed for bulldozers, hydraulic means or blast- health, species and group size of the more public input. ing. In terms of area affected, bull- animals involved, as well as the time Mining boom called bust dozing probably has the greatest im- of year and vegetation cover.(11) 10 for northern wildlife pact. (Vancouver Sun, 04/20/90, B12) Soil and vegetation disturbance Environmentalists and resource users can have significant impacts on wild- Mine Development: (e.g., trappers) are worried that explo- life. In 1994, exploration activities Rolling Back the Wil- ration crews damage trapping trails, were occurring in an area of the disturb sensitive fur-bearing animals such as the fisher, and allow easy ac- Yukon known to be caribou calving derness Frontier cess by snowmobiles in winter. They and Dall sheep lambing grounds. The development phase of a min- warn that an increase in access will lead This concerned local outfitter, Ron to an increase in poaching. ing project is the stage when the ma- Hardie. “Stripping will reduce the jor disturbances related to mining Ripley, E., Redmann, R.E. fragile plants and grasses the sheep occur. 11 and Maxwell, J. 1978. Envi- use; also access will disrupt the sanc- ronmental Impact of The mining industry and Cana- tuary nature of this ground.”(9) Mining in Canada (Centre for Re- dian government often portray min- source Studies, Queen’s University). Gridlines and trails increase ac- eral developments as having “small p. 21. cess into wilderness areas, often re- footprints,” i.e., impacting only small Environmental Mining Coun- sulting in poaching and hunting.(10) areas of land. The mine site itself, 12 cil of BC. 1998. More Pre- This, in turn, affects the people who however, is just one point in a long cious than Gold . . . Min- traditionally relied on those wildlife line of activity before and after the eral development and the pro- populations for subsistence hunting digging starts.(12) As the following tection of biological diversity in purposes. sub-section on Access and Transpor- Canada Prepared by the Environmental Mining The noise that accompanies the tation will show, mining operations Council of BC (EMCBC) for the World operation of heavy equipment (e.g., can have far-reaching impacts. Wildlife Fund of Canada, this report out- drill rigs), motorized vehicles and lines a number of myths related to the Another favourite industry claim mining industry, and recommends a set aircraft also disturbs wildlife. Air- is that mining is a “temporary use of of principles that could be put in place craft can cause wildlife disturbance the land.” This, too, can be mislead- to protect endangered spaces from the on a much larger scale than land potential impacts of mining operations. ing. While it might be true that the This report can be obtained by con- traffic because of their higher speed mines themselves only operate for a tacting EMCBC (emcbc@miningwatch. and their ability to pass over all org; tel: (250) 384-2686). short period of time, the impacts types of terrain. As well, low-flying from these developments on water, Support grows for deep- aircraft carrying sensing equipment soil, wildlife and communities can 13 sea port at Bathurst such as a magnetometer or spec- Inlet (Nunatsiaq News, persist for decades and centuries.(12) trometer can be a source of distur- 04/09/98; http://www.nunatsiaq. bance to animals. The amount of This is especially true for impacts on com/archives/nunavut98415/ noise and disturbance they produce water. nvt80409_30.html) The proposal for construction of a depends upon the frequency of

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 3 Access and Transporta- projects in the region more viable by Environmental tion: The Impact of reducing transportation costs.(13,14) Impacts Roads Not everyone welcomes the pros- pect of roads encouraging further de- deep-sea port and an all-weather road When a mining development is velopment. “There’s much talk about from Bathurst inlet to the south of Cont- proposed, one key concern relates to woyto Lake has been made to deal with an all-weather road,” comments the potential increase in fuel and sup- access: how will the employees, Chris O’Brien, an environmentalist plies required to service new mines equipment, construction materials with Ecology North in Yellowknife. opening in the region. According to in- and processing chemicals be trans- dustry representative, Mervin Hempen- “Increased access leads to local de- stall, existing transportation infrastruc- ported to the site, and how will the pletion of animals. An all-weather ture will be insufficient to meet the ore/minerals, employees and hazard- road leads to other roads and gradu- needs of the region’s growing mining ous wastes be removed? industry. The existing road is only open ally, it’s opened up. You hear people in the winter, and as Hempenstall says, There are four options for trans- saying we’ve got to open up the north “You’ve got a problem just trying to get porting materials and employees: air, like it’s some kind of can. The trou- the volume of fuel and supplies to ser- rail, water, and roads. ble is, once it’s opened up, you can’t vice all the mines on the existing road. . . you can only get so many The concerns associated with close it down.” (15) trucks on that road in the window it’s transporting goods by air are primar- The concerns voiced by various open.” ily economic. It can be extremely groups about the effect of roads on costly to fly materials into a mine- 14 Arctic coast highway the environment are well founded. proposal resurrected site, and flying out ore or ore concen- Some of the most significant direct (Daily Commercial News, trates is feasible only in rare cases, 01/13/99, v.72(8); pg A1,A5) and indirect impacts of mining result Northern leaders are reviving the idea e.g, rich gold deposits. As well, there from the construction of exploration would be noise pollution associated of an all-weather highway to open one and mining roads. of the last great wilderness areas on the with the planes, and planet to the mining industry. clearing of land for The $600-million project calls for an 850-kilometre road from Yellowknife to an airstrip, both of Wildlife a proposed saltwater port at Bathurst which could Trails are often Inlet. It would cross the trackless tun- cause distur- dra, Canadian Shield and muskeg of the built laterally central Arctic. bance of wildlife from initial ac- Environmentalists, however, are wary. and human com- cess routes. “This is one of the last large remaining munities. While a network wildlife areas in the world,” said Bob Bromley of Ecology North, who sits on a The alterna- of trails may be government committee studying the tive to trans- a benefit for road. mineral explora- porting goods by air is to tion purposes, Finding common ground 15 (Up Here, 1994, v.10(5), transport by wildlife popula- Nov/Dec – supplement) truck, rail or tions in the area This supplement addresses the ques- become suscepti- tions: do diamonds offer solid economic ship (or some Roads are the source of particularly severe benefits for Canada’s North? And can combination environmental impacts. ble to overhar- they be mined responsibly in our fragile thereof). vest, and the environment? effects upon the landscape escalate In remote northern areas many Mychasiw, L. and Hoefs, M. roads can only be used on a seasonal in proportion to the amount of area 16 1988. Access-related im- basis (i.e., in winter, when the sur- covered.(16) pacts of backcountry face is frozen). Recently, in response Every new road or trail in a wil- roads to wildlife and manage- ment approaches to mitigate to the expected development of sev- derness area occupies space that was them (Department of Renewable eral diamond mines in the central previously wildlife habitat. Some Resources, Yukon Territorial Gov- arctic, a proposal was put forth to species have traditional migration ernment) construct a deep-sea port at Bathurst patterns which, if interrupted, can

Inlet, as well as an all-weather road lead to permanent abandonment of from Bathurst Inlet to the south of their range, a reduction of the popu- Contwoyto Lake. The port’s promot- lation size through interference with ers say a northern supply route sensitive calving grounds (3,9,17), or would make other potential mining even the elimination of that particu-

4 MiningWatch Canada lar group of animals.(16) lead to increased exploitation and/or When the Omineca mine road destruction of the area’s resources. Environmental was built in northern BC in the late (17,22) Impacts 1970s, slash barriers along the road led fish and wildlife branch officers Troubled waters: the Fish Habitat Destruction 17 Taku dilemma (Globe & to dub it a “moose trap.” There was Roads affect watercourses by in- Mail, 08/10/98, A10) also concern that the piled up slash Redfern Resources, a junior mining troducing sediments and pollutants. was interfering with migration of company, is planning to build a 160-km The compaction of the roadbed dis- caribou herds “as effectively as a road, “ the first ever into the wilder- rupts groundwater flows and the im- ness,” and reopen and old mine from barbed wire fence.” BC Wildlife Fed- pervious nature of the road surface the 1950s. eration spokesperson Les Story cau- There are fears that the road will open increases runoff. Runoff and diverted tioned, “when you break up a migra- up the area for further development. waters are often concentrated in cul- “Already, mining companies that have tion corridor for a herd of caribou, verts and channels, which, if improp- been dormant for years are breathing you’re signing its death war- life into their claims,” says Tlingit erly designed, can burst and cause rant.” (18) spokesperson Melvin Jack. flooding and erosion. All of these fac- Environmentalists argue that the road Roads are bad news for bears, too, tors increase erosion and result in will lead to logging, more mines, and the eventual destruction of the area. because they disrupt bear move- increased sedimentation and turbid- ments by fragmenting their ranges, The Alaskan government is “deeply ity of the receiving waters. For exam- concerned, fearing the mine will dam- and because they introduce often - ple, during the construction phase of age a lucrative salmon fishery,” and has asked that the International Joint Com- uncontrolled human disturbances the Kemess mine in northern BC, into the area. The road slated to ser- mission, a body set up to deal with vegetation was cleared and earth transboundary water disputes, conduct vice Redfern Resources’ (now Red- dumped into streams, leading to an independent review of the project. corp Ventures Ltd.’s) Tulsequah charges being laid against the mine’s Chief mine in northern BC has biolo- Environmentalists battle owner, Royal Oak Mines Inc., for fish 18 Omineca mine road gists worried. The historical pattern habitat destruction.(20) Trees were (Vancouver Sun, 08/10/78) suggests that if use of the road is not also cleared for a powerline to the The BC Wildlife Federation was fight- restricted to Redfern activities and is Kemess mine without regard to the ing the extention of the mine road, subject to unrestricted access by which cut northward from Fort St. province’s Forest Practices Code, James into remote Wilderness areas. other users, as has been the case in causing stream damage along the Federation spokesperson, Les Storey, many other mine developments corridor. (21) said that the costs were “astronomical throughout BC and North America, with regard to environmental damage.” The board said an inspection in The impacts included destruction of fish- “bears will be killed by hunters, June, 1999, revealed that Royal Oak eries, as well as disruption of caribou poachers and anyone else with a gun feeding and migration corridors. threatened water quality and fisher- who perceives himself or his prop- ies after 50 fish-bearing streams erty to be in jeopardy,” says bear ex- Have the north’s griz- were blocked with debris and slash 19 zlies met their match in pert Phil Timpany.(19) mine road? (Vancouver One of the greatest worries Sun, 05/19/98, A15) for First Nations is that There may be as many as 11,000 or as few as 3,000 grizzlies in BC, but roads will increase access there is presently a healthy population to traditional hunting ar- in northern BC near the Taku River. Biologists are trying to determine eas, which would mean what the impact of the 160-km Tulse- that subsistence harvest- quah Chief mining road will have on the ers would then have to bears. Biologist Tony Hamilton believes that compete with other us- if the access road is restricted to indus- ers. The Taku River try use the bears have a chance; but if the road is open to other traffic bears Tlingit First Nation, will be shot. When no regulations exist environmental organi- to protect bears, experience has shown zations and the Alas- this to be true time and time again. kan government have serious concerns that Caribou are one of the northern species potentially impacted a road to the Tulse- by mines, particularly those involving the construction of new quah Chief mine will roads

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 5 deposits. Soil eroded from unstab- alty.”(25) Mining consumes, diverts Environmental lized banks and silt drained off im- and can seriously pollute water re- Impacts properly constructed roads. sources. When water quality is com- Sedimentation can damage or de- promised, both aquatic and human Dumping charges laid stroy fish habitat; reduce the number communities can suffer. 20 against mine company (Victoria Times Colonist, of organisms and bury aquatic veg e- While roads can seriously impact 04/19/99, A6) tation on which fish feed; clog and water quality, pollution of water dur- A 16-month investigation into the damage fish gills and make it dif- dumping of earth into fish-bearing wa- ficult for fish to feed; and de- ters near Prince George ended this week with 13 charges laid against Royal Oak stroy spawning areas. Mines. The Alaskan government The alleged offences took place be- tween October of 1977 and May of 1988 is concerned that the during construction at the company's Tulsequah Chief road will Kemess mine, federal fisheries officer impact water quality, and Robert Martinolich said. harm the salmon fishery

Board criticizes Royal on the Taku River. The ac- 21 Oak for logging viola- cess road will cross tions: water quality streams 69 times.(23) threatened by Kemess South work (Financial Post, 06/09/00, According to an Ontario C7) Ministry of Natural Re- Royal Oak Mines Inc. and three pro- sources: vincial government ministries caused significant harm to the environment by “Any water crossing has chopping down 10,000 truckloads of the potential for significant timber without regard to the province’s detrimental impacts on Forest Practices Code, the Forest Prac- tices Board said yesterday in a report. water quality.” (24) Royal Oak failed to comply with the Les Storey of the BC Fish like this spawning salmon are among the first code after it chopped down 300,000 casualties of acid mine drainage and tailings cubic metres of timber to build a 380- Wildlife Federation has no- breaches kilometre-long power line to the Kemess ticed the effects of water South gold and copper mine, the board crossings and culverts on said. streams and rivers that parallel the ing the construction and operation of BC Natives vow they'll Omineca Mining Road in northern a mine can have much more serious 22 go to court to stop min- BC. “Spawning grounds alongside implications. Water pollution from ing road (Vancouver Sun, 460 km of a gravel road lie empty mine waste rock and tailings (a 04/20/98, B5) partly due to siltation of spawning slurry of ground up waste ore and The Taku River Tlingit First Nation has concerns that the 160-km access road beds and also because salmon and processing chemicals) often need to to the site will affect their traditional steelhead have been unable to strug- be managed for decades, if not centu- hunting and fishing grounds and open gle through the road’s plugged cul- ries, after closure. up their country to other resource users “at precisely the time we are attempting verts.” And on a newer section of the There are several types of water to negotiate our ownership and jurisdic- road, “there is not one river, stream, pollution related to mining. The tion of this land at the treaty table.” creek or rivulet that has not been most serious threat to water quality The Tlingit say the environmental re- damaged by road construction,” said view did not satisfy their concerns about is acid mine drainage. Tailings spills Storey.(18) the impact of the road on their commu- can also have severe impacts in both nities and on wildlife, especially moose Chemical and fuel leaks and spills and grizzly bears. populated and remote regions. This also occur on roads. These sub- is especially harmful if the mine Proposal for BC mine stances can run off of roads into wa- wastes contain radioactive sub- 23 may fuel Pacific fish tercourses where they can produce fight (Globe & Mail, stances and high concentrations of 14/07/98, A7) acute toxic impacts on aquatic life. metals. Fuel, chemical and sewage The Alaska government has concerns line leaks and spills, and erosion/ that the Tulsequah Chief mine in north- ern BC could destroy salmon runs vital Water Quality sedimentation are also detrimental to downstream US fisheries. The main to water quality. concern is the impact of the mine's ac- Water has been referred to as cess road, which would carry ore to At- “mining’s most common casu-

6 MiningWatch Canada Case study: Tailings leaks at Faro Environmental Impacts The Faro lead-zinc mine in the Yukon has had a history of problems with its tailings lin, 100 km north of the mine. It crosses pond. (31) streams 69 times, and could open an From 1969 to 1975 at least a half-dozen leaks in the tailings impoundment system undisturbed wilderness area to logging were monitored. There were seepages of high pH effluent, contaminated with ele- and other developments (e.g., other mines). Mine activities, as well, could vated levels of lead, zinc and arsenic, into Rose Creek. In addition to these leaks affect wildlife habitat and water quality, there were a number of major failures of the tailings pond resulting in large releases which in turn could impact the salmon of effluent into Rose Creek. runs.

In March of 1975, two dikes failed and 54 million gallons of contaminated tailings Environmental Guide- water flowed into Rose Creek, depositing tailings downstream for a distance of 15 km. 24 lines for Access Roads Charges were laid by DIAND and the Environmental Protection Service. The company and Water Crossings pleaded guilty to one of the charges and was fined the current maximum daily fine of (Ontario Ministry of Natural Re- $5,000, but the fine was reduced to $4,500 on appeal. sources)

Another episode occurred over a several month period in mid-winter of 1976, when Environmental Mining Coun- highly toxic levels of cyanide were released into Rose Creek. Fisheries officials consid- 25 cil of BC. 1998. Acid Mine ered that this spill resulted in "the waters of Rose and lower Anvil Creek being toxic to Drainage: Mining and [fish downstream to] the Pelly River." Charges resulted in a fine of $49,000. water pollution issues in BC This document, produced by the Env i- In December, 1979, there was yet another breach of the tailings pond, resulting in a ronmental Mining Council of BC spill of 2.5-4 million gallons of effluent toxic to fish. (EMCBC) discusses different sources and types of water pollution, with a focus on acid mine drainage (AMD). It also pro- Acid mine drainage conditions. Acid drainage occurring vides information on predicting AMD, at mine sites is known as “acid mine and outlines a number of case studies Acid is created when water and on the various impacts and costs associ- drainage” or AMD for short. oxygen come in contact with sul- ated with this form of water pollution. According to Keith Ferguson, for- This report can be obtained by contact- phide-bearing miner- ing EMCBC ([email protected], als. The chemical re- merly of Environ- ph: 250-384-2686). action that takes ment Canada, “Acid Breaking up rock sets off place creates sul- mine drainage is perhaps the most 26 production of toxic cock- phuric acid, which in tail (Vancouver Sun, turn is able to dis- serious environ- 02/12/88, B1) solve minerals, re- mental problem a It is estimated that there are 300 mil- leasing potentially mine can face. . . the lion tonnes of acid-generating wastes in problem is difficult BC. In 1988, at least 5 of the 16 operat- harmful metals pre- ing metal mines had AMD control pro- viously bound up in to arrest, and the grams, and six abandoned mines were the rock. Acid may costs associated with acid generating. long-term pollution be generated under Tsolum: Concern for this natural conditions abatement can turn 27 damaged river grows prior to any distur- a once-profitable (Victoria Times Colonist, bance for mining mine into an expen- 10/10/95, A5) sive liability.”(26) The Mt. Washington mine operated purposes. However, for less than 3 years before the com- mining tends to ex- There are ore bodies pany (Mt. Washington Copper) went acerbate acid gen- in Norway that were into receivership. Exposed pyrite ores reacted with oxygen and water to form eration. Throughout mined in the 1700s AMD, which leached copper from the the entire mining that are still acid ore. Copper leachate moved through the process minerals are generating. Fergu- watershed, eventually reaching the broken down, Tsolum River. For more than 10 years son was not aware of the government has attempted to rem- crushed, and Acid mine drainage at Equity Silver Mine in BC any identified acid edy the problem, spending in excess of ground up, expos- $1 million of taxpayers’ money to date. mine that had ing much more of stopped generating acid mine drain- the sulphide minerals to air and wa- age on its own.(26) ter than would occur under natural

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 7 Impacts from acid mine drainage fine particles and mixed with water Environmental Acid mine drainage impacts wa- and chemicals to extract the target Impacts ter quality in a variety of ways. Acid- minerals. What is left – a liquid ity is harmful to many fish and slurry containing the leftover rock Mine’s seepage poses particles, water and chemicals used 28 aquatic organisms. Perhaps more im- threat to river (Vancouver in the processing – is usually piped Sun, 02/12/88, B1) portantly, many metals become mo- to specially constructed containment Only one year after Equity Silver Mine bile as pH drops (i.e., as water be- began operating, the waste rock dump comes more acidic), and at high areas, known as tailings ponds or was already generating acidic drainage. enough concentrations these metals impoundments. In these impound- Every second, about 30 litres of the ments the wastes are held in by toxic liquid seeps from the base of the become toxic to most life forms. earthen dams or berms. In other waste rock dump. For example, acid mine drainage At the time, there was no collection cases, tailings are stored in prev i- at the Mt. Washington mine on Van- system for the AMD, even though Equity ously excavated mine pits/shafts. had been advised that there was a po- couver Island contributes to the tential the waste rock would be acid leaching of copper, which is the Tailings are transported from the generating. The company has since built mill to the tailings pond through a system of dams, pipes and pumps to “dreaded enemy” of young salmonids collect and treat the acid mine drainage. (coho, pink and chum salmon fry, pipes or ditches. Water can be con- and cutthroat and steelhead fry). Ac- taminated when leaks develop in the Royal Oak fined for Back 29 cording to Father Charles Brandt of pipes or when ditches overflow. This Bay pollution occurred at Royal Oak’s Giant Mine (Yellowknifer, 03/25/92, A3) the Steelhead Society, “It is a scien- The discharge of 3000 gallons of tail- tific fact that the amount of copper in Yellowknife, in 1992. More than ings sludge containing arsenic cyanide, that finds its way yearly into the 3,000 gallons of tailings sludge con- copper, lead, nickel and other chemicals Tsolum watershed kills young taining arsenic (31-391 times the al- occurred after an operator at the com- lowable limit), cyanide, copper, lead, pany attempted to pump the toxic salmon and deters adult salmon es- sludge through a pipeline. The pipeline caping back to the river to nickel and other chemicals were acci- overflowed while the operator left his spawn.”(27) dentally discharged by the company. post to take a 30-minute lunch break. The contaminated slurry eventually If the AMD was left untreated at overflowed the drainage ditch and Mining’s dam problem the Equity Silver Mine in northern 30 (Globe & Mail, 05/16/98) migrated into Baker Creek and then BC, “people would no longer be able There have been 25 major fail- Great Slave Lake, where people from ures of tailings dams since 1971, ac- to drink the water.” So says Brian Yellowknife both swim and fish.(29) cording to the World Information Ser- Wilkes, a chemical engineer with the vice of Energy based in Amsterdam. Other causes of water contamina- BC Environment and Parks minis- Canadian companies have been respon- tion include seepages through or sible for three of the seven failures that try. Copper levels in Buck Creek (the have occurred since 1994. around tailings dams, and breaches “Tailings dams are supposed to last drinking water source for area resi- or failures of tailings dams them- forever,” said one exasperated mine dents) would be 750 times higher selves. consultant, “but they don’t.” than the recommended level, and ar- “Nobody wants to spend any money “Most of these things fall down senic 20 times the recommended on tailings,” says Eli Robinsky, a Toronto when they are not built according to civil engineering consultant and critic of limit. The water treatment system design,” said Mike Campbell, execu- tailings dams. “They’ve taken all the required to neutralize AMD at the goodies and now they throw all the junk tive director of the International Equity mine site (now closed) costs in the back yard.” Council on Metals and Environment, the company more than $1.2 million Weinstein, M. 1992. Just an industry-based organization. annually. According to Wilkes, the 31 Like People Get Lost: A However, even if designed properly flow of AMD at Equity could con- Retrospective Assess- (e.g., with adequate storage capacity ment of the Impacts of the tinue for up to 150,000 years, there- and drainage), construction problems Faro Mining Development on fore, the treatment system essen- the Land Use of the Ross River may lead to failures. Because dams tially will have to continue to operate Indian People (Prepared for the are most often built of material Ross River Dena Council) in perpetuity.(28) available at the mine site, there can Using interviews, oral histories, com- munity mapping and government docu- be considerable inconsistencies in ments, this report traces the environ- Tailings: leaks, seepages quality.(30) Earthquakes, typhoons, mental and social impacts of the Faro and breaches mine on the Ross River Dena people. heavy rainfall and spring melts also For information on how to obtain a Tailings are the waste products of add to the risks of dam failure. And copy of the report, contact Martin the milling process. During this proc- perhaps one of the greatest engineer- ess, the ore is crushed, ground into 8 MiningWatch Canada ing challenges faced by companies The US Department of Justice wishing to develop mines in remote recently alleged that Cominco Alaska Environmental northern locales is designing tailings Inc. violated the federal Clean Water Impacts dams in permafrost soils. Act by exceeding the allowable limits for metals and pH at their Red Dog Weinstein (ph:250-339-4337; email: [email protected]). Impacts of tailings accidents Mine and at the mine’s Chuckchi Sea port. There were also allegations of Alaska mining company In the past few years, there has 32 unpermitted discharges of sewage agrees to $4.7 million been a number of international tail- environmental settle- ings disasters.(30) In many of these from a temporary housing facility ment (US Department of Justice cases agricultural lands and other and more than a thousand violations press release, http://www.usdoj. at Cominco’s sewage treatment sys- gov/opa/pr/1997/July97/294enr. properties were contaminated, and htm) in some cases, human deaths re- tem at the port. Cominco spent more sulted. In regions where lands are than $4.7 million to settle the law- Creek damage investi- suit out of court.(32) 33 gated: dirt from mine not used for agricultural purposes, constru ction running tailings spills can damage the envi- into water (Prince George Citizen, ronment in other ways, e.g., through 08/27/97, p.3) Dirt from the construction of Royal the destruction of streams and Oak’s copper mine in northern BC was fish habitat. observed to be running into Kemess Creek, “muddying the water and blan- keting the bottom of the creek with silt.” Chemicals: It was a concern to environment offi- leaks and cials because the creek is home to bull spills trout and Dolly Varden. “It could have harmful impacts on fish A mine spawning and kill off the insects the fish may use feed on,” said BC Environment official thousands Dave Sutherland. of tonnes of Old mines are swallow- chemicals 34 ing Ontario: $300 million every year to needed to fence off or fill extract the in sinking lands around mine sites, ministry says (Toronto target miner- Star, 08/16/99) als from the The threat of underground mine col- ores, or to Mining is the source of sometimes severe streambed erosion lapses suddenly swallowing buildings treat the con- and vehicles and endangering people could be the start of a $300 million taminated headache for Ontario. tailings and processing waters. All of Ontario has an estimated 6,000 such these chemicals have to be trans- Erosion and Sedimentation sites, says Dick Cowan, the Sudbury- based director of mine rehabilitation for ported to the site, and then a series Soil disturbance is greatest dur- the Ministry of Northern Development of pipes and holding tanks are used ing the mine construction phase. The and Mines. to move and store the chemicals resulting vegetation disturbance, at- Cowan says the ministry is hoping for within a mineral processing facility. approval of a new program to make all mospheric dust and noise from con- the sites safe, including their small and Thus, there are many chances for struction equipment are also likely to large abandoned structures. spills and leaks. be at their highest levels. Significant “The previous program ended seven soil disturbance can lead to increased years ago and now we estimate it will In 1981, there was a major sul- take $300 million to do the job,” he phur dioxide spill (approximately erosion, and if enough water is flow- says. 41,000 litres) at Equity Silver Mine ing through the site large amounts of He says the 6,000 sites range from sediment can be transported to “significant mine developments to small in northern BC. The chemical found holes that open in the ground.” its way into Buck Creek, and as a streams and lakes, creating high tur- He estimates 40 per cent are on result, residents living nearby were bidity and blanketing creek bottoms. crown land and 60 per cent on private told to stop drinking the water from (33) As explained above, in the sub- property. the creek.(28) section on road impacts, sedimenta-

tion can adversely affect aquatic or- Other potential water contami- ganisms nants include fuels, oil, and sewage. Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 9 Conclusions recover from atmospheric deposition Environmental of smelter emissions. Impacts Mines generally close down be- This potential for perennial im- cause either the ore body has been pacts underscores the need for com- exhausted, or prices for the mineral prehensive planning and commu- make it uneconomical to continue nity-level decision making in ad- with the mining operation. vance of mine development. Unfortunately, even though mines close down, impacts do not necessarily cease. Acid mine drainage can be a long-term problem, persisting for centu- ries or even millen- nia. Underground mines can collapse years after closure (34), contam i- nated tailings im- poundments can continue to be a threat to fish and wildlife, and land can take years to Impacts can remain long after the ore is gone.

anticipate possible responses, lay out your posi- Public Action tions and your bottom line. Decide where and when to bend, and where to stand firm. Focus on Citizen efforts can and do make a significant difference in ident ifying achievable goals. A key question here is: are reducing the impacts of mining. There are no hard and fast you trying to stop a mine, or to improve it? rules for individuals or community organizations wishing to à Educate. Publish fact sheets, hold slide shows or infor- take action on mining impacts, but the following are some mation sessions. Make maps, contribute articles to pointers for getting started. newsletters. à Research. Learn everything you can about the com- à Advocate. Attend meetings, speak up, talk and write to pany, the mine site, current proposals, and the local en- mine managers and government officials. Make your po- vironment. Read up on regulations; find out who’s re- sition heard on committees. Speak knowledgeably to the sponsible in the company and in government. Where issues. necessary, get expert help to understand and respond to technical issues. à Publicize. Hold press briefings, announce reports, re- spond to developments. à Document. Take photos or video footage, get copies of permits, produce position papers or reports, get it in à Monitor. The best plan is only worthwhile if it is actu- writing. ally carried out. Check up, ground truth. Make sure that agreements are lived up to, and take action if they are à Network. Get an existing organization active on the not. issue, or put together a new network. Get spokespeople who know their stuff. Talk to mine union locals, First à Celebrate. Don’t be all doom and gloom. Acknowledge Nations, environmental groups, fishery or wildlife organi- positive changes. Thank your colleagues. Celebrate suc- zations, and government ministry staff. cesses, small and large. à Strategize. Talk out your options, develop scenarios,

10 MiningWatch Canada Community Impacts Community Impacts ining development has the potential to completely trans- form economic, social and cultural aspects of life in Articles with underlined titles are M available as reprints from Mining- nearby communities. Watch Canada.. As with any major development in remote or populated areas, the balance between positive and negative impacts needs to be Curragh lays off 177, 35 carefully assessed in light of past performance and future prom- may close Faro mine (Financial Post, 02/23/93) ises of the company (and industry) involved. The gap between The Faro mine is the Yukon's largest promise and performance has often weighed against the inter- private-sector employee. The layoffs are temporary pending a $29-million ests of community sustainability. Some of the factors governing government loan guarantee to develop impacts are outlined below. the new Grum ore body. Curragh has been squeezed by a global glut of zinc concentrates that has weakened de- mand and sparked cutbacks from other Employment major producers. The Economics of Boom and Bust While it is true that employment Death and rebirth of a opportunities are created when min- 36 town (Up Here , Nov/Dec The most obvious positive impact ing projects are developed, there are 1996, v.12(6), pp. 16-18) of a mining development is the po- This article by freelance writer Brenda issues regarding who will get the Barnes follows the boom-bust cycle of tential economic benefit derived by jobs (local vs. outside workers), how the mining town of Faro in the Yukon. nearby communities. Mines can con- long the jobs will last, and whether The town, created to house and provide tribute to a community’s economy by services for the workers of the mine, or not the people of the community has had its population fluctuate between providing employment to community even want to work at a mine. 2,100 and 90 residents over its 30-year members, and by pumping money history. The article includes interviews Many mining jobs require highly into the local economy through the with some die-hard Faro residents, who skilled or specially trained employ- are intent on staying in the community. purchase of goods and services. ees, and if members of These folks are working on devising Unfortunately, economic nearby communities do community economic strategies to keep benefits related to mining Faro alive during temporary shutdowns not have the required and after the inevitable closure of the are often short-term. Dia- skills the workforce must mine. monds may be forever, but come from outside the re- diamond mines are not. A northeastern BC com- gion. 37 pany mining town was Minerals are non- Promises of jobs and train- knocked hard with word renewable resources: when ing programs are often of- key employer Quintette Coal an ore body is depleted, the was closing 30 months sooner fered by mining companies mine shuts down. Mines will never than planned (Canadian Press and governments as part of an agree- be a permanent answer to a commu- Newswire, 03/02/00) ment with communities who risk be- A northeastern B.C. company mining nity’s economic woes. ing impacted by a proposed mine. town was knocked hard Wednesday Furthermore, the reality of the with word key employer Quintette Coal (38,40) Unfortunately, the promise of was closing 30 months sooner than industry is that global prices are the jobs does not always translate into planned. major determinant of whether or not long-term employment.(39) About 500 workers at the massive mines continue operating. Mines of- open-pit operation will lose their jobs. Lessons can be learned from the Sliding coal prices and reduced export ten shut down temporarily due to oil and gas industry. When oil and volumes plus a strengthening Canadian low metal prices, and workers, in the gas exploration boomed in the 1970s dollar forced Quintette operator Teck Corp. to move up plans to close the meantime, are laid off.(35,37) Thus, and 1980s many companies pursued money-losing mine to this August. mining operations do not necessarily Native employment and business The mine wasn’t supposed to close provide long-term economic stability creation. But relatively few Native until March 2003. for either individual workers or the people gained permanent or signifi- community at large. cant work and, in any case, job crea- tion was fairly localized. Now that the oil boom is over, those jobs no Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 11 Community Case study: Faro’s Economic Rollercoaster Impacts In 1969, Cyprus-Anvil Mining Corporation built the town of Faro to accommodate Company pledges jobs workers for their lead-zinc mine, the second largest in North America. 38 for Natives (Globe & Mail, 10/21/96, A1, A8) The 1970s and early 1980s were the boom years in Faro, when the town’s popula- BHP recently signed an agreement tion peaked at over 2,100 and additional camp facilities were built to house the more with the government of the Northwest than 700 mine workers. Territories committing the company to hiring up to 2/3 of its diamond mine In 1982, though, prices of lead and zinc fell sharply, and by June of that year, pro- work force from northern and aboriginal duction at the mine had come to a grinding halt. A planned three-week shutdown be- communities (at least half must be Na- came eight weeks and then 17. In September, the mine announced it would not be tive). As well, the company must re- port regularly to the government on resuming operations that winter. The announcement caused a mass exodus of em- meeting its commitments (on hiring, ployees and their families, and Faro’s population dropped to less than 900. training and business opportunities). In 1984, Cyprus-Anvil announced it was mothballing the mine. As a result, the popu- BHP has also agreed to pay airfare for shift workers from communities as far lation plunged to 90, and Faro became a ghost town. away as the Arctic coast. In return, the In 1985, a new buyer, Curragh Resources, surfaced and Faro’s population boomed territorial government will provide accel- erated apprenticeship programs to help once again. The mine operated until 1993, when lead-zinc prices plummeted, forcing tradespeople take advantage of the pro- Curragh to close the mine and seek protect ion from its creditors. ject. In November 1994, another company, Anvil Range bought the mine.

Natives cry foul over In February 1998, Anvil Range, like Curragh, sought protection from its creditors and 39 jobs at mine (Daily Com- the mine went into receivership. mercial News, 10/21/98, B1, B2) Unless a new buyer is willing to assume the environmental liability associated with Aboriginal leaders fear their people the huge tailings pond and numerous acid-generating waste rock piles, the mine site are being pigeonholed in service and will remain dormant. And with the mainstay of the town’s economy lost, the people of security jobs at diamond mines in the Faro must find other means of generating income or else Faro will once again be not h- Northwest Territories. “We don’t want ing but a ghost town. (36) just truck-driving jobs,” said Bob Dow- dall, executive director of the North Slave Metis Alliance. longer exist.(41) that are often at least two weeks in He said aboriginal people are not be- ing trained for the highly skilled opera- Another issue related to employ- length, the distance of mine sites tions positions. ment is that even if jobs are avail- from home communities, and the “Clearly we need a training plan,” able, the work might not be agree- need for a consistent and reliable agreed Bill Erasmus, national chief of the Dene First Nation. able to members of the community. workforce that does not take time off (31,39) on a seasonal basis, creates a situa- Falconbridge signs his- tion in which the benefits of employ- 40 toric deal with Inuit At the Faro mine in the Yukon, (Montreal Gazette, “jobs at the mine were tried and ment in the mines are often offset by 03/01/95, B4) quickly abandoned by most the costs of social and family disrup- Falconbridge’s Raglan nickel mine will [aborginal] people as unattractive for tion and loss of opportunities to par- change the landscape of an area of northern Quebec forever with the con- many reasons, including scheduling, ticipate adequately in community struction of 10 open-pit and under- discrimination, and working condi- life.”(43) ground mines, new roads, port and air- tions. Other types of employment, port facilities and residences. particularly seasonal and part-time According to the company’s environ- Costs and Benefits mental impact statement, the project’s work, were in demand.”(31) impacts include high-acid mine tailings, The Faro experience is not an iso- One question that a lot of commu- gas and smoke emissions, increased nities facing mining development airborne dust, use of ice-breakers and lated case. Susan Wismer writes that find themselves asking is who really large tankers for transport and the dis- while exploration work can be com- posal of effluent from sewage and mine serves to benefit from this develop- patible with subsistence activities of operations. Consequently, marine ment, and who pays the costs? plankton, fish, caribou, fox and seal aboriginal people in the northern re- Environmental impacts often populations will be affected. gions of Canada, experience with In exchange for the rights to develop translate into economic impacts, as jobs in the mines themselves has and operate the project, Falconbridge resources previously used as a source will pay $75 million in compensation to been less favourable. “The nature of of formal income or subsistence pur- the Inuit. the work, its scheduling into shifts The Inuit will get at least 150 of the poses are rendered unusable.

12 MiningWatch Canada In 1966, the Mt. Washington benefits and employment from com- Mine on Vancouver Island went into mercial and sports fisheries is esti- Community receivership after only two years of mated to be in the range of $4.3 mil- Impacts operation. Yet it left a leg acy of acid lion per year.(28,44). mine drainage and heavy metal pol- Negative impacts on human 800 jobs, and they will have a large role lution that continues to flow un- in evaluation of the project's environ- health may result from mining op- mental impact. treated into the Tsolum River. The erations, but it is difficult to attach a concentration of copper, particularly Neither boom nor bust: dollar figure to those impacts. 41 harmful to young salmon, has all but the renewable resource As Lloyd Tataryn writes, “the In- wiped out the once healthy salmon economy may be the dians in the NWT have not been the best long-term hope for nort h- runs. It has been estimated that the primary beneficiaries of the arsenic- ern communities (Alternatives, loss of the salmon fishery costs contaminating industries located in v.22(4), Oct/Nov. 1996, p. 18) nearby communities $2 million a Author Heather Myers, assistant pro- Yellowknife. We feel it is unjust that year. To date, the province has al- fessor in International Studies at the companies can make profits from University of Northern BC, argues that ready invested $1 million in its at- jeopardizing the health of the people non-renewable resource industries have tempts to deal with the problem. The not ensured adequate or stable employ- who have lived on the land since most probable means of controlling ment, either for northern peoples or for time immemorial.”(45) imported workers. Furthermore, the the AMD will cost taxpayers at least younger generation has not shown a an additional $6 million.(27) Community health impacts re- clear preference for moving from the lated to mining are addressed in land into industry. In the pursuit of At Equity Silver mine in northern more detail in the next section of this appropriate northern development, re- BC there is presently a system in kit: Health and Safety. newable resources can offer the poten- place that treats the acid mine tial for income, while complementing drainage that continues to flow from community lifestyles and values. They can be locally based, small-scale, flexi- the mine. If the treatment system Social and Cultural ble, renewable and true to indigenous were to fail for an extended period of tradition. While they will not provide a time, the AMD would cause the poi- Impacts total answer to northern development, employment or income needs, renew- soning and eventual loss of all fish as The social and cultural implica- able resource-based ventures will satisfy far as 215 km downstream. The re- some key needs and values. tions of mining developments are of- sultant potential loss of economic ten brushed under the rug in order Training of Inuit stepped 42 up at Raglan mine (Nunatsiaq News, 04/23/98; Case Study: Need for Targetted Training http://www.nunatsiaq.com/ nunavik/) Initial training concentrated on pre- In 1995, Falconbridge signed an “historic” agreement with the Inuit in northern Que- paring workers for jobs as cooks, heavy bec. Among other things, the company agreed to provide at least 150 jobs and train- equipment operators, mechanics and truck drivers. Now that that construc- ing for the Inuit people at their Raglan nickel mine.(40) tion phase is over and production is The company originally thought that within 10 years Inuit could comprise 90% of gearing up, the mine needs workers to excavate and process the nickel ore; the workforce. However, three years after the agreement was signed, and after these are specialized trades that require spending $4 million on training, less than 25% of the workers are Inuit, (42) and the additional training. percentage of Inuit employees at Raglan is not likely to rise in the next couple of Turnover last year at Raglan reached years. 70 percent.

To date, the training has concentrated on preparing workers for jobs as cooks, The Nasty Game: how heavy equipment operators, mechanics and truck drivers. With the construction 43 environmental assess- phase over and production gearing up, there will not be many more jobs available to ment is failing aboriginal the Inuit until they train and qualify for jobs in the mill or underground. communities in Canada’s north (Alternatives, 22(4), Oct/Nov, 1996. “We should . . . make greater efforts to ensure that we target the occupations with p. 12) the greatest potential for employment,” said Jim Delaruier, Kativik School Board’s di- This article is written by Susan Wis- rector of vocational and adult education. mer, assistant professor in the Depart- ment of Environment and Resource And that’s what the Raglan Technical Committee on employment and training has Studies at the University of Waterloo. decided to do. At the heart of their new strategy is a college-level program in mining, In the article, Wismer writes that Env i- as well as on-the-job training at the mine.(42) ronmental Assessment (EA) can and should be an excellent process for de- termining whether or not the outcomes

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 13 * Community Impacts of economic development are likely to be positive or negative for communities. But the EA process for the BHP diamond mine failed to address if, when and how mining could contribute to community sustainability.

B. Wilkes. BC Ministry of 44 Environment, Lands and Parks. Consequences of unregulated release of raw acid mine drainage into the Bulkley River, British Columbia (Presented at the 11th Annual Mine Reclamation Symposium, Campbell River, BC. April 8-10th, 1987) * Distinction made through use of colour in original

Notes from the Territ o- Produced by the Innu Nation, this map shows the potential for mining exploration to im- 45 ries: arsenic poisoning pact archeological sites (5) (Alternatives, v.7(2), 1978, p. 12) to focus on “what is good for the difficult for single-parent house- This article was written by Lloyd economy.” However, the social im- holds, women who are trying to leave Tataryn, a journalist and environmental pacts of mining developments have abusive relationships, and low- consultant to the National Indian Broth- erhood. The article describes a number to be addressed in order to create or income, unemployed and underem- of studies on the impacts of arsenic poi- sustain healthy communities. Some ployed people to find houses to buy soning. Tataryn then relates how the potential social impacts related to or rent. federal government released the results of a study that found many health de- mining are listed below. And when a mine closes, inflated fects among Yellowknife citizens com- housing prices can plummet, monly associated with arsenic poison- ing, but the government failed to do an Community Services especially in a single-industry town. adequate follow-up study. Conse- With the recent announcement of the Many projects will result in an quently, the aboriginal people in Yellow- Quintette mine closure in knife took it upon themselves to conduct influx of workers, almost all male, northeastern BC, housing prices in a study of hair-arsenic levels in their into neighbouring communities. A children and mine workers compared to the community of Tumbler Ridge levels in children and mine workers liv- large, transient population can put a ing in Whitehorse, Yukon. The results strain on the existing recreational, fell, leaving many with no jobs and showed that arsenic levels from the health, social and business services. houses with little market value. (37) people in Yellowknife were above the “acceptable level,” while levels of the Often services and infrastructure citizens of Whitehorse were negligible. (such as more powerlines, sewage Women’s Issues

52% of the population and housing) are developed to meet The Tongamiut Inuit Annait Ad 46 deserves a closer look: a the needs of a larger population. At Hoc Committee on Aboriginal proposal for guidelines the end of the mine’s life, when the Women and Mining in Labrador has regarding the environmental transient workers leave the commu- outlined a number of concerns re- and socio-economic impacts on women from the mining devel- nity, it is the people left behind who lated to potential impacts that min- opment at Voisey’s Bay end up shouldering the tax burden to ing developments may have on Produced by the Tongamiut Inuit An- pay for the infrastructure improv e- women.(46) Their concerns include nait Ad Hoc Committee on Aboriginal possible disruption of marriage and Women and Mining in Labrador, this ments. information comes from the Innu Na- family life, increased responsibilities tion’s website (located at http://www. for women in the home, violence innu.ca/womenguidelines.html). Housing against women, sexual harassment

The influx of workers can also re- in the workplace, and lack of job op- sult in housing shortages, inflated portunities. house prices and rents, and low va- These concerns are shared with cancy rates. These factors make it Innu women leaders in Northern

14 MiningWatch Canada Labrador who feel the mining activ- Miriam Wall, writing on the im- ity in the area has costs for their pact of resource developments on Community families and the environment. (47) women in northern Ontario states, Impacts A professor at Memorial Univer- “Time is a premium for many women. As mothers they often can- Mining extracts toll on sity in Newfoundland has found that 47 not afford to be away over night or Innu women of Labrador for married workers, long absences (Herizons Winter 1997; v.11 for long periods of time… working from home can contribute to mar- (1); pg 6-7.) riage breakdowns and disrupt family women, who find themselves over- Innu women leaders fear history is life.(49) burdened with both their paid em- repeating itself with the frenzy of mining ployment and traditional family role activity in Northern Labrador. In 1993, If male partners are employed at what is believed to be the world’s larg- [can be] effectively excluded from mines that require them to be away est nickel reserve was found in Voisey’s further involvement in commu- Bay, located on Labrador’s north coast. from home for weeks or months at a nity.”(48) The mining boom was cheered on Bay time, the primary responsibility for Street, but women in the region are managing the household (provision Wall also writes that job opportu- concerned about how this newest inva- and preparation of food, subsistence nities may be limited for women in sion of their homeland will affect their single-industry towns. The tradi- families, their environment, the healing harvesting, care of clothing, house- process and land claims negotiations. work, maintenance of household ac- tional employment options available counts, childcare) will fall to women. to women tend to be in the low- This can potentially affect women’s paying, service sector. Moreover, participation in community life. there is a certain “mill mentality” that exists in single-industry towns,

urban ideas, values and behaviour. Case Study: Ross River, Yukon Territory The parents of non-Native children demanded a southern school cur- The following case study is composed of information from riculum and were instrumental in getting the school principal, the report “Just Like People Get Lost: A retrospective assess- who was sympathetic to the differing needs of the Indian ment of the impacts of the Faro Mining Development on the children, dismissed. Thus, even aboriginal children were in- land use of the Ross River Indian People.”(31) In the report, volved in the disempowerment. the author makes it clear that while there were impacts di- The impact of roads, the stresses of village life, the disloca- rectly attributable to the mining development, there were tion of some family groups from their traditional lands, and concurrent factors, such as changes in education, transporta- the rapid transformation into a marginal minority changed tion, employment, and social welfare programs, that contrib- the lives of the Ross River people forever. When these uted to the severe social problems experienced by the abo- changes combined with the ready availability of alcohol, riginal community of Ross River. however, they produced a deadly combination. Public facili- Beginning in 1966, there was an influx of outsiders and ties for the purchase of alcohol became available in the re- businesses to Ross River to service the construction and op- gion with the influx of mine construction workers. As all of eration of the Faro mine. In the ensuing years the Ross River the stresses to life in Ross River developed, extended periods band experienced increased “drinking, open conflicts, vio- of binge drinking became the rule. When people returned lence, sexual exploitation . . . the disintegration of some from a job with cash, alcohol would be bought and shared marriages.” with friends and relatives until the money was spent. The internal problems among the aboriginal people were Deaths from a variety of alcohol related causes, mostly ac- exacerbated by the arrival of large numbers of transient cidents, began to occur in 1966. From that time to the pre- white male labourers during the construction period. Many of sent, death from alcohol-related causes has been a regular the mine construction workers carried the stereotypic images event for the Indian population, with one or more deaths of “Indians as victims and powerless,” that were prevalent in from drinking almost every year between 1970 and 1989. Yukon and many other areas of Canada at that time. Women The community of Ross River is in the process of healing were seen as sexual objects and the men, when drunk, were from the negative social effects that have so drastically seen as objects for abuse and violence. Raids by construction changed their way of life in the past 30 years. In light of the workers to abduct women from the village were not uncom- indefinite closure of the Faro mine in 1998, the people of mon. There have been vivid descriptions of sexual exploit a- Ross River must now try to develop strategies for building a tion and beatings of Natives by whites at the local bar. more healthy, sustainable community. Many of the southerners who settled in the village brought

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 15 and sentiments such as “you have to ment. It brought together women Community be a real man to be able to work in from Yukon communities affected by Impacts the mill or mine” are not uncommon. mining, as well as women with ex- This attitude can act as a real force perience in the health, science and 48 M. Wall. Women and de- in preventing women from even con- social science sectors. (50) velopment in northwest- sidering applying for what are often ern Ontario (Alternatives, the only well-paying jobs available in v.14(1), Feb. 1987) Land Claims In this article, writer Miriam Wall ad- the community.(48) dresses the issue of the roles of women The need for gender -specific re- There are six proposed mining in communities based upon extractive developments valued at more than resource industries (such as logging and search has been acknowledged in re- mining). Wall examines barriers to cent federal environmental assess- $30 billion in the Arctic, all of which women’s participation in the political ment processes. However, the last infringe on unsettled Native land and economic life of these towns, and claims. Also, in addition to the Innu suggests ways to increase the inclusion federal assessment process that Nation, the Labrador Inuit Associa- of women in decision-making positions women in Labrador participated in within the communities. tion has outstanding land claims af- failed to adequately assess the im- fected by the nickel find at Voisey’s Miners sent to remote pact of military flight training on 49 Bay.(51) sites to work suffer from women in the region. According to stress (Financial Post, Unsettled land claims can be a women’s groups, the environmental 09/13/88, p. 5) source of concern for aboriginal com- impact statement either omitted or Fly-in mining, where workers are munities faced with a proposed min- transported into remote mine sites for failed to directly acknowledge specific lengths of time, is the alterna- eral development. women’s issues. For example, “sexual tive to the historical pattern of establish- In the Northwest Territories, the ing mining towns. The typical patterns assault” was portrayed as “family or federal government has awarded are working for 7-14 days and spending community violence,” sexually trans- the same amount of time at home; or mineral exploration rights to land mitted diseases” became working 3 months or more and taking 3- over which the Dene assert aborigi- 4 weeks off. “communicable diseases” and Mark Shrimpton, adjunct associate nal rights and title. “Without self- professor of geography at Memorial “women’s groups” became “concerned government agreements, the Dene University in St. John’s, NFLD, recently groups.” (46) are not entitled to any revenues from completed a report on fly-in mining. In September 2000, a two-day Shrimpton found that added stress ex- mining activities, even if the mine is perienced by fly-in miners could result in gathering was held at Lake Laberge, literally in their backyard,” says Ma- increased accidents on the job. Yukon, called Gaining Ground: rina Devine, chair of the Canadian The report recommends shorter work Women, Mining and the Environ- Arctic Resources Committee.(51) Case Study: The Dene Nation projects on issues such as alco- hol and drug abuse, housing, economic development, com- During the course of the Norman Wells Pipeline munity learning and decision making, Elders and and Oilfield Expansion Project in the NWT, people youth, and health and education. Training was also of the Dene Nation feared the bulk of benefits would undertaken in areas of monitoring techniques, lead- flow to the south with the oil, and that northerners ership, communications and other types of profes- would be left to deal with the negative impacts. sional development. The Dene repeatedly stressed that job skills The programme was discontinued after only two training alone would not guarantee meaningful Na- years due to lack of federal funding. What the pr o- tive involvement in development. They called for gramme taught the Dene was that the regimes of an training that would enable them to enhance their industrialized economy are foreign to them, and do traditional renewable economy and protect their cul- not reflect their values and traditions. The realized tural and social life, to ensure that once the project that their cultural heritage is the only key to was over they would still have families and viable healthy social development and that this process communities to live in. must be in place if the Dene are to design and ben e- Despite problems with government funding, a fit properly from economic and political develop- Community Development Programme was eventu- ment.(52) ally set up. This allowed the Dene to develop special

16 MiningWatch Canada The Taku River Tlingit First Na- enough time to adapt organically to tion is presently deep into land-claim this new reality. Community negotiations. However, some band The majority of problems experi- Impacts members are concerned that a road enced by the Dene with the Norman proposed by Redcorp Ventures Ltd. Wells Project stemmed from their rotations, greater choice of rotations, a more homelike environment, better tele- to service the Tulsequah Chief mine inability to change existing processes phone communications, and employee will soon attract more mines to the or to have any meaningful input into and family assistance programs to help alleviate stress. area. More mines mean a greater Yukon Conservation Society potential for 50 and Yukon Status of Women Council. 2000. impacts on Gaining Ground: Women, Min- traditional ing and the Environment Tlingit This pamphlet was produced following lands. a gathering held at Lake Laberge, Yukon, in September 2000. Copies can Tlingit be obtained by contacting the Yukon spokesper- Conservation Society (Tel: (867) 668- 5678; email: [email protected]). son Melvin Jack is con- Land claims threaten cerned that, 51 NWT diamond mine (Financial Post, 02/15/96, “Industry p.1) seems to be Two Dene Native bands have land going in un- claims negotiations with Ottawa on a 3,500 km2 tract of land at Lac de Gras in der the wire the central Arctic, where BHP’s Ekati before our Too often, the benefits of a mine are shipped out of a community along diamond mine would be situated. A claims are with the ore lawyer who was closely following the issue of the competing claims said that settled. I an injunction to halt the project could feel, to some degree, that it is inter- decisions related to the project.(52) be filed if business and government The Innu have had a similar ex- failed to secure a revenue-sharing fering with aboriginal rights.”(17) agreement or make concessions to the perience, and are frustrated by refus- Native bands. als on the part of the companies in- Addressing Commu- volved – from Archean to Inco – to Dene community devel- opment: lessons from deal fairly with their concerns. The 52 nity Impacts the No rman Wells Pro- Innu have stated that the timelines ject (Alternatives, v.14(1), Feb. Often there is not enough lead and goals of the com panies and the 1987, pp. 10-12) time given to communities to put Newfoundland government do not Author Margaret Gorman relates the programmes in place to deal with the take into account the need of the process that Dene communities went through to try to gain control over their negative social ramifications of min- Innu to determine their own visions society and economy in wake of the ing developments. of an economic future for their com- Norman Wells Pipeline and Oilfields Ex- Like the Dene (see accompanying munities – a vision that may not in- pansion project. The challenge for the Dene was to convert the opportunities Case Study), the Innu Nation of clude the development of Voisey’s brought by a non-renewable resource northern Labrador has expressed a Bay. development into long-term benefits. great deal of uncertainty over the When the Pipeline and Oilfields Expan- sion project was approved, the federal future of their communities and government committed $20 million for their way of life.(5) The Innu are programmes to ensure jobs, training worried about the implications of ad- and business opportunities for northern- ers. The government also imposed a ditional social and economic pres- two-year project delay to allow time for sures wrought by mining develop- these projects to be put in place. ments on communities that are just beginning to heal after years of abuse and despair. The frantic pace of exploration and development has not provided Innu communities with

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 17 Health and Health and Safety Safety “The mining industry has long had an unenviable history of Articles with underlined titles are industrial accidents and disease.” (49) available as reprints from Mining- Watch Canada.. When an underground explosion ripped through Westray Mine in Nova Scotia on May 9, 1992, killing the entire shift of 26 men, it was a devastating reminder to Canadians that the human toll Panel makes connection 53 between hardrock min- taken by mining is not limited to the industry’s bloody past. ing and cancer (Canadian Occupational Safety, v.32(4), 1994, Behind the tragedy of underground accidents is a range of p. 8) less visible health and safety issues, such as the gradual build- This article mentions how one or two up of carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), and air and water studies linking hardrock mining and lung cancer might have failed to convince contamination. The impacts felt by miners and mine communi- panel members of the relationship; but ties are indicative of an industry that has taken some important it was hard to argue with 22 studies. The studies found that: 1) the longer steps forward, but in many ways has yet to face the challenge of the exposure the greater the incidence putting health and safety first. of lung cancer, so it is older workers who are most often victims from their lifetime work experience in mining; 2) miners who had a mixed-ore experience Health Impacts: the the men and women who work in had higher rates of cancer; and 3) rates mines. In the late 1980s, the Cana- of lung cancer among non-smoking ura- Silent Toll dian Industrial Disease Standards nium miners were similar to the rates of smokers in the general population. But Panel concluded that hardrock min- rates increased significantly when min- Down in the Mine ers are more likely to get lung cancer ing was combined with smoking. A range of health problems can be than the rest of the population.(53)

attributed to working in a mine envi- They based their conclusions on 22 Study evaluates cancer 54 risks for nickel miners ronment. studies conducted world-wide, all of (Northern Miner, v.81(46), which found that the incidence of 01/14/96, p. 5) Cancer lung cancer in hardrock mining was A McMaster University study has above the norm. shown that certain workers in Ontario’s Cancer is serious health risk for nickel mines and mills are more likely to The probability of developing can- contract various respiratory-tract cancer than the rest of the population. The study examined health records for Diesel Exhaust 66,100 workers employed by Inco and Falconbridge since 1940. Exposure to exhaust from diesel combustion is one of the major health risks under- The United Steelworkers of Canada ground. This summary is from the United Steelworkers website: http://www.uswa.ca union has stated that oil mist and diesel fumes are to blame for the high inci- Some Toxic Gases and Solid Particles Health Effects dence of cancer, and not the rock dust known to cause silicosis in the past. The in Diesel Exhaust union has called for a reduction in the Carbon monoxide Interferes with oxygen supply to body level of harmful emissions emanating from the products of equipment manu- Contributes to heart disease facturers, and has urged Inco and Fal- Nitrogen oxides or NOx Irritates the eyes and respiratory system conbridge to switch to electrical equip- ment from diesel. Decreases lung function May decrease resistance to infection Mystery ailments fell 55 Fording coal miners Sulphur oxides Irritates the eyes and respiratory system (Vancouver Sun, 05/18/95, B5) Hydrocarbons (including benzene, Cause a large variety of health effects, BC government officials and Fording formaldehyde, phenol, butadiene, etc.) including irritation, asthma and cancer management were unable to explain the cause of the array of ailments occurring Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) Cause cell mutations and cancer at the coal mine. United Steelworkers of Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) or soot Contributes to heart and respiratory America representative, Don Takala, urged the company to shut down the problems; causes cancer

18 MiningWatch Canada cer increases the longer a person selves working at a number of differ- works at a mine, if a person has ent mines over their lifetime, since Health and worked in more than one mine (i.e., many mines are only in operation for Safety where different ores are mined), and a few years. As a result, these work- if the worker smokes.(53,54) ers will be exposed to many different mine until the cause of the health prob- potential carcinogens. lems could be determined. The company These findings have ramifications did not agree that the situation was for the people who work in the indus- Known carcinogens encountered necessarily linked to mine operations, try. Many workers will find them- at a mine site include: radiation, ar- saying that they had examined the ill- ness reports and “found no commonal- ities, with the exception of two or three.” Case Study: Arsenic Poisoning Canada’s uranium min- 56 ing sparks desperate In the 1970s, elevated levels of arsenic in snow, soil, water and vegetation samples protest (Toronto Star, within city limits confirmed that not only mineworkers but also the residents of Yellow- 02/27/88, M4) knife were being exposed to the potentially lethal chemical. Exposure resulted primar- The first coordinated act of civil dis- obedience against uranium mining oc- ily from the smelter emissions from Giant Yellowknife Gold Mines Limited. In May of curred in 1985 in Saskatchewan. The 1975, Health and Welfare Canada released a study showing that many health defects small Native community of Wollaston among Yellowknife citizens were commonly associated with arsenic exposure. At the Lake led the protest. For 80 hours they time, St atistics Canada figures also indicated that Yellowknife had a higher cancer rate blockaded all traffic in and out of two than Canada as a whole. uranium mines. The blockade was “a final, desperate attempt to be heard.” Spurred by these findings, the National Indian Brotherhood and the United Steel The Dene “saw no other way to voice Workers of America collected hair samples from aboriginal children living near Yellow- their anger and frustration against an industry they claimed was ruining their knife, and from all the men working in the Giant Mine’s mill. These samples were ana- community, their health, their means of lysed and compared to samples of hair collected from children and mine workers in livelihood and their children’s futures.” Whitehorse (which has no arsenic source). None of the children or mine workers from Whitehorse had hair arsenic levels above one part per million (ppm), whereas more 57 Ottawa to study “Village than 90% of aboriginal children from Yellowknife and all of the mill workers from the of Widows:” Deline, NWT Giant Mine had arsenic levels above one ppm. One ppm is the upper “acceptable” limit was uranium site (Edmonton Journal, 01/21/2000, for hair arsenic – above this, toxicity soon develops. A6) Understandably, the aboriginal community was upset with these results. At the time, The federal government has an- Lloyd Tataryn, consultant on environmental issues to the National Indian Brotherhood nounced a program to study how years of uranium mining has affected the commented that, “The Indians in the Northwest Territories have not been the primary health of a remote northern community beneficiaries of the arsenic-contaminating industries located in Yellowknife. We feel it that some call the “Village of Widows.” is unjust that companies can make profits from jeopardizing the health of the people The village of 650 people on Great who have lived on the land since time immemorial. We therefore cannot be content Bear Lake, 500 km northwest of Yellow- knife, is across the lake from the Eldo- until the arsenic levels in the Indians of Yellowknife are no higher than those in the rado mine. Indians in Whitehorse. The only way this can be accomplished is by forcing the com- The first area miner died of cancer in panies to stop their polluting activities.”(45) 1953. The deaths accelerated in the 1970s. More than twenty years have passed since the Health and Welfare Canada study, yet the arsenic poisoning continues.(58) 58 Zero arsenic discharge In 1996, a forum on arsenic was held in Yellowknife. During the forum, Dr. Andre possible (Yellowknifer, Corriveau, chief medical officer for the NWT said exposure to large amounts of air- 05/24/96, A15) A taskforce was set up in 1995 to deal borne arsenic can be dangerous, deteriorating the lungs and causing problems for with the arsenic emissions from Royal people, particularly those with respiratory problems. Oak’s Giant Mine, to help the company control its emissions. The article points However, there are no regulations in the NWT to control the release of arsenic into out that Environment Canada’s main the air. Royal Oak, the company that owns the Giant mine, releases between 10 ton- legislation to deal with arsenic is the nes and 11 tonnes of arsenic into the atmosphere each year on average. Canadian Environmental Protection Act, but even armed with that there’s little According to Kevin O’Reilly, an environmental activist, “the technology exists to Ottawa can do to make Giant bring elim inate the air emissions . . . we should be aiming for zero discharge.” down emissions. The “way” to limit pollution is known; all that is required is the “will” to clean up the operation. This dangerous pollution will continue until the company voluntarily intro- duces controls, or the government enacts legislation requiring companies to curb their emissions.

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 19 senic, nickel, sulphuric acid mist in chemical spills can taint water and Health and the milling process, and asbestos. food supplies (29), and air emissions Safety There are also suspected carcinogens can pollute water, soil and vegeta- such as oil mist and diesel fumes tion. Years of working dan- from mining equipment.(54) 59 gerously: at least 33 have died in Canada’s In addition to cancer, there are Uranium mines since Westray (Halifax other potential health Uranium has Chronicle Herald, 05/05/97, A1, A4) problems that been coined This article provides a list of mining- can result from related deaths, and their causes, for the “death rock” by working in a years 1992 to 1996. the Dene, and the mine. In 1995, Mining still this country’s land around ura- 60 most dangerous job as many as nium mines has (Halifax Chronicle Herald, 70 employ- been termed the 05/05/97, A2) ees at an “sacrifice area,” Statistics Canada rates mining and open pit coal quarrying as the most dangerous occu- which expresses pations. Between 1988 and 1993, 5% of mine in Brit- the idea that the all workers killed on the job or by work- ish Colum- impacted zone related illnesses (268 deaths) in Canada were miners/quarry workers. Rates of bia were remains unsuit- workplace injury and death are increas- struck with able for human ing in the mining industry, while they a variety of habitation for are decreasing in other occupations. thousands of ailments in- Curragh Inc. fined $20, cluding blis- Smelter emissions can be a major source of years. The costs 61 contamination 000 for safety offences tered eyes, to Native commu- (Globe & Mail, 12/05/92, nities living in peeling fa- B12) the vicinity of uranium mines have Curragh Inc. was fined $20,000 for cial skin, and longer-term respira- been high: the animals they depend two safety offences at its lead-zinc mine tory and urinary tract problems.(55) in Faro, Yukon. They were fined on for survival have been adversely

$15,000 for failing to ensure a front-end affected, as has their drinking water, loader was equipped with parking brake, and $5,000 for failing to ensure that Mental Health and residents have reported new and oxygen was available in its first-aid vehi- In addition to physical ailments unusual health problems.(56) cle. related to mining, there are also is- The federal government has re- Explosives stored in sues of mental health. A report writ- cently announced it will study the

62 wrong places, inspectors ten in 1988 documents the impact of effects that years of uranium mining find (Vancouver Sun, has had on the village of Deline in 10/16/92, B11) fly-in mining (i.e., where workers are the Northwest Territories. The Eldo- Safety inspectors who went through flown into remote areas to work and the Giant gold mine in Yellowknife live for specified lengths of time) on a rado mine operated in the 1930s and (where an explosion had recently killed 1940s during which time “Dene men miner’s physical and mental health. nine men) found explosives where they were recruited to transport the ore, shouldn’t have been. Blasting caps, stick (49) The author concluded that the carrying 45-kg sacks of it on their powder and bags of explosives were separation from family and friends found in more than 20 improper loca- backs. They slept and sat on those and the inability to get away from tions at the mine owned by Royal Oak sacks during the long barge trips Mines. the work site combine to create across the lake and down the Bear Placer Dome fined $325, stress that can be hazardous to a and Mackenzie rivers. They spent 63 000 (Victoria Times Colo- miner’s mental and physical health. much of their time covered with fine nist, 05/05/99, C11) uranium ore dust.” (57) There have Placer Dome was fined $325,000 after pleading guilty to a health and safety Beyond the Mine Gate: been many deaths from cancer in the violation in the death of a Northern On- Community Health Im- community, which is known locally tario miner. as the “village of widows.” (57) A Labour Ministry investigation found pacts that Placer Dome failed to establish pro- Smelters cedures to govern the movement of a Mining operations can potentially Risks to health increase when scoop tram, contrary to mining regula- impact the health of nearby commu- tions under the Occupational Health and smelters are part of the mining de- nity members in a number of ways. Safety Act. velopment. Residents of Anaconda Noise pollution can be disruptive, 20 MiningWatch Canada Montana, where arsenic is emitted ada, where permafrost conditions from a copper smelter, have a higher prevail. Building on permafrost re- Health and incidence of death from lung cancer quires advanced engineering skills Safety than the general US population.(45) and knowledge, and if mine infr a- structure is improperly designed or constructed accidents can occur. An Kinross Gold fined 64 $500,000 following two Safety: Mining Still a incident in the Yukon highlights the fatal accidents Dangerous Occupa- potential impacts that can be ex- (Occupational Health & Safety, v.16 pected from permafrost melt. An ex- (4), June/2000, p.13,14) tion plosion that injured 11 workers was Two fatal incidents within six months at Hoyle Pond mine near Timmins have attributed to ground movement Two recent headlines from the resulted in fines totaling $500,000 caused by changing temperatures Halifax Chronicle Herald capture against the company. that ruptured propane pipes.(67) Kinross Gold Corporation pleaded the reality of the risks involved in guilty to two counts under the Occupa- the mining industry: There are particular problems at tional Health and Safety Act. The com- remote mine sites where employees pany failed to take the reasonable pre- “Years of working da n- are flown in and live at the mine for caution of ensuring that standardized gerously: at least 33 have signals were used between a worker specified periods of time. As one died in Canada’s mines and a train operator; and failed to es- study points out, fly-in workers often tablish safety procedures for employees since Westray”(59) suffer stress and tension as a result working near a hole that was blocked with planks and loose rock. “Mining still this coun- of separation from family and com- try’s most dangerous Flin Flon: death in a job”(60) 65 company town (Our Mining is a dangerous oc- Times, v. 17(1), Jan/Feb cupation. Accidents and 1998, pg 31-33+) deaths occur for a variety While industrial accidents are by no means uncommon in Canada, Hudson of reasons including Bay Mining and Smelting Company in flaws in mine design, Flin Flon, Manitoba, has more than aver- smaller workforces and age. From 1991 to 1996, there were 14 fatalities in Manitoba’s mining industry – more overtime work, and 10 of which happened at HBM&S. This lack of adherence to compared with three at Inco’s opera- safety regulations. (61- tion, which employs a similar number of people in Manitoba. In fact, over the 65) Some members of the past 70 years, 98 HBM&S workers have mining industry blame died violently on the job: about one the increase in accidents every nine months. and fatalities on Improper motivation “improper motivation” on 66 main cause of accidents the part of the employ- (Northern Miner, v. 79(14), ees.(66) The facts suggest 06/07/93, p. 14) that this is not the case. During the 1980s, Ontario averaged 11 mining-related deaths per year, most Between 1992 and 1997, of which occurred underground. In explosions, cave-ins, Underground mines have particular health and safety 1993, 2,800 accidents were reported to heavy machinery and challenges the Ontario Workers’ Compensation Board. The industry cited “improperly noxious gases claimed motivated” employees as the basic the lives of 50 miners in Canada, 27 munity. Coupled with overtime cause for most accidents. of them coal miners and the rest hours on the job, this stress may con- At Falconbridge’s Kidd Creek mine in Timmins, the safety record is particu- hardrock miners.(60) tribute to an increase in workplace larly good. According to the mine man- Deaths underground have ripple accidents. (49) ager, their safety record is, in part, the effects throughout a small commu- result of suggestions from employees. There is a need to address these This stellar record may be at risk, how- nity. This is particularly true when issues because of the likelihood of ever, with the elimination of 250 jobs, many miners die in a single calam- more “urban miners,” as southern which raises concerns about worker safety. ity, as at Westray.(59) ore bodies are depleted and compa- Many mines are being proposed nies develop more mines in remote for remote northern regions of Can- areas. Also, there are many mines

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 21 that are only projected to operate for sites.(60) Health and a few years, which discourages the This trend has labour activists in Safety creation of new mining towns and Canada very concerned. encourages the trend toward flying “Deregulation kills people. It’s as Shifting ground blamed in workers. simple as that,” said Andy King, na- 67 for blast (Vancouver Sun, tional health and safety coordinator 12/24/91, A3) for the United Steelworkers of Amer- Eleven workers at the Sa Dena Hes Training lead-zinc mine in the Yukon were in- Following the deaths of five min- ica.(60) jured as they slept in their bunkhouse ers in separate accidents in Quebec, “Business people are gamblers,” trailer. Ground movement, caused by Coroner Gilles Perron concluded that changing temperatures, ruptured pro- says Vern Edwards, a safety official pane pipes, spilling gas beneath the the province’s miners need better with the Ontario Federation of La- trailer. The gas was likely ignited by a training.(68) Perron said work meth- bour. “They’ll cut corners on health furnace-pilot light or the furnace itself. ods are a factor in 90 percent of acci- and safety for the sake of production dents underground. Coroner calls for better and profits and just cross their fin- 68 training for miners after The miners’ union said the cor o- gers nothing happens. Unfortu- 5 deaths (Montreal Ga- ner’s report underlines the lack of zette, 07/24/96) nately, they’re not the ones who pay All five of the deaths resulted when concern by mining companies for em- the price of losing that gamble.”(60) miners were crushed by falling rocks. ployees. “Clear signals of danger Only 14 of 40 mines offer training pro- were ignored by the supervisors so as grams in Quebec. In Ontario, where miners are required to take extensive not to reduce production,” said Ar- Conclusions: A Long training, accidents have dropped by 21 nold Dugas, director of the United percent. Road Ahead The coroner, Gilles Perron, wants all Steelworkers of America. miners to be trained, and he wants Que- At an inquest into an accident To a certain extent, the health bec to set up a mining school in north- that killed two miners at the Quin- and safety effects suffered by miners western Quebec. Perron also urged the and mine and smelting communities sam coal mine on Vancouver Island, work-safety commission to make sure are inherent to the industry and the sub-contractors respect Quebec safety miner Michael Pearo who survived mine environment. Yet many of the rules. the accident called for more training worst impacts could be mitigated or for those working underground. Survivor of mine cave-in prevented with appropriate work- 69 wants more training “They should be well-trained,” he place investments. (Victoria Times Colonist, said. “ ... It should be under provin- The long and often bloody history 11/18/98, E7) cial law.” (69) Quinsam Coal miner Michael Pearo said of mining has produced some strong he considered suicide during the terrify- and progressive labour unions. Mine ing moments after 600 tonnes of rock fell from the roof of a mine shaft, trap- Deregulation workers and their families are ping him and killing two co-workers. If employers do not always have among the first to feel the impact of Pearo was working near Darrell Ralph poorly designed mines. Over the and Wayne Campbell on Jan. 16 when worker safety foremost in mind, at he was knocked unconscious by the least government safety inspectors years, labour activism has been the huge slab of rock that fell from the roof. have the ability to halt operations most important force in improving Ralph and Campbell were killed when that pose a potential danger to work- the safety of the mine environment. the rock trapped them inside a continu- ous mining machine. ers. Or at least that used to be the However, the shocking alleg a- Pearo told a five-member jury at an case. tions of company and government inquest into the accident that there negligence that came out in the We- should be legislation ensuring more In a disturbing trend, govern- training for people working underground ments across the country are cutting stray inquiry underscore the dis- in the coal industry. back on occupational health and tance the mining industry still has to safety enforcement. In Alberta, more come. than half of the health and safety in- The continued failure of compa- spectors were laid off, leaving em- nies like Royal Oak at their Giant ployers to essentially inspect and po- Mine to address the health impacts lice themselves. Similarly, in On- of their operations speaks of an in- tario, the Ministry of Labour has dustry that is in too many cases still downsized to the point where inspec- focused on profit at the expense of tors can’t afford to visit remote mine workers and communities.

22 MiningWatch Canada Environmental Assessment Environmental Assessment his package has so far dealt with the impacts associated with mining developments. However, there are opportuni- Articles with underlined titles are T available as reprints from Mining- ties for identifying potential impacts before mines are developed. Watch Canada.. During the exploration stage, permits to dig, divert water, and so on, must be obtained. At the mineral development stage, Justice Thomas Berger. however, all major mining projects in Canada have to go 70 Northern Frontier, through an environmental assessment (EA) process to determine Northern Homeland: the report of the Mackenzie Valley if and how development should proceed. Pipeline Inquiry, Volume 1 (Ottawa: DIAND, 1977)

Marbek Resources Consult- Since Berger, there hasn’t been a Background: the 71 ants. 1998. Guide to infor- single assessment conducted in Can- mation requirements for Origins Of EA ada that has met the standards of the environmental assessment the Berger Inquiry.(43) of mining projects in Canada Environmental assessment in (prepared for Environment Canada, Canada was created to ensure that Presently in Canada, all prov- the Canandian Environmental As- environmental concerns are ade- inces and the federal government sessment Agency, and Natural Re- quately considered in decision mak- have EA legislation. North of 60°, the sources Canada) federal process generally applies; This report documents the legislative ing. Unfortunately, the current state requirements for EA of mining projects of EA processes in Can- however, the in Canada. It also outlines the informa- ada has been the EA regime in tion that companies must produce to subject of substan- the territories meet the requirements of the EA proc- ess. tial criticism and continues to increasing cyni- evolve through Killer Gold permit stirs cism from many the ongoing 72 court action (Alternatives, v.21(2), 1995, p. 11) stakeholders. settlement of The Yukon Conservation Society (YCS) land claims Twenty years is suing the federal government for its and self- ago, the Berger refusal to require a comprehensive env i- government ronmental assessment of exploration Inquiry set the agreements. work on a block of mineral claims in the standard for EAs Yukon. Jennifer Ellis, executive director (71) in Canada. Jus- of YCS says, “allowing mineral explora- For all other tion in this area is appalling when tice Thomas wolves are being killed to ease pres- Berger estab- regions, the sures on the local caribou. Almost 100 lished that: responsibility wolves have been killed so far in the name of protecting this caribou herd, “environment” Impacts are best dealt with before the pit is for regulating yet the federal government is refusing must include dug and assessing to even consider the environmental im- human social mining oper a- pacts of a mining proposal that could and cultural concerns; all those af- have severe repercussions for the herd.” tions rests with provincial gover n- fected have a right to a fair hearing ments. Occasionally, mining projects Conservation group and to have their concerns incorpo- in the provinces also require federal 73 launches lawsuits chal- lenging Westmin mining rated into the decision making proc- approval (for example, when mine ess; and traditional knowledge in Yukon (Vancouver Sun, proposals include the destruction or 05/26/94, C10) should be combined with Western alteration of fish habitat). When this The Canadian Parks and Wilderness science-based information to provide Society (CPAWS) has initiated two law- is the case, the two EA processes are the best possible information base suits aimed at the federal government usually merged or “harmonized,” to and Westmin Resources, which is ex- for decision making. He also made it save time and costs for all parties ploring its mineral claim near the Bonnet clear that none of this could be ac- Plume River in the Yukon. CPAWS says complished without adequate time involved. the Department of Indian and Northern for a thorough review.(70) Affairs allows mining companies to log,

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 23 Benefits of EA the cumulative impacts of explora- Environmental tion rushes, prior to exploration. In Assessment In theory, environmental assess- the Yukon, several lawsuits have ment focuses on predicting and as- been launched against the federal bulldoze and build airstrips, camps and sessing the ecological, social and re- government for failing to assess the roads without first assessing whether lated consequences of proposed de- the work harms the environment. impacts of exploration activities on velopments, and on identifying ways the environment.(72,73) Canadian Arctic Resources to mitigate negative effects and opti-

74 Committee. Critique of the mize benefits. If properly conducted, BHP Environmental As- EA processes should reveal if and Inadequate opportunity sessment: Purpose, Structure how proposed projects can be imple- and Process (Northern Perspec- for citizen participation mented without unacceptable im- tives. V,24(1-4), Fall/Winter 1996. In Labrador, there are few exam- pp. 7-9) pacts. ples of consultation between govern- For mining companies, a well co- Biologist balks at Ke- ment departments on assessing the 75 mess request for new ordinated EA of a proposed mining potential impacts of exploration ac- mill location (Vancouver project can contribute significantly to tivities.(5) What little consultation Sun, 07/23/96, C7,8) effective planning. By identifying po- that does exist is often hampered by The suggestion that the location of the mill be moved to a new site is “a tential problems with, for example, the absence of critical baseline data significant change,” says Gordon Ennis, mine design and waste handling on wildlife populations and distribu- habitat biologist with the federal fisher- plans, and by bringing to light the tions, key habitat areas and archaeo- ies department. It creates “potential for significant adverse impact [on fish].” full range of potential impacts and logical sites. According to the Innu Whereas the original mill site was lo- alternative ways of carrying out the Nation, even those rare instances cated several kilometres away from Ke- where baseline data exist, there is a mess Creek, the new site is on a bench project before the mine is developed, about 200 metres away. The creek is EAs can help to reduce costs and un- serious deficit in the basic ecological home to Dolly Varden and brown trout, scheduled project delays and mini- and cultural research required to in- a species listed as vulnerable in BC. terpret the data correctly in order to mize future economic and environ- make informed decisions.(5) Diamond-mine scrutiny mental liabilities.(71)

76 called “shoddy” (Globe & As part of the environmental re- Mail, 07/18/96, A8) view of BHP’s Ekati diamond mine Critics warn that enthusiasm over the mine’s benefits has overshadowed a Criticisms of EA in the NWT, hearings were held in communities likely to be affected by lack of adequate scrutiny of its poten- There are many criticisms regard- tially harmful effects on land, animals the mine. and the human communities. They say ing how the EA process is applied to the federal environmental-approval mining in Canada today. These in- Kevin O’Reilly, staff member with process has been reduced to little more clude lack of assessment at the ex- the Canadian Arctic Resources Com- than a cursory overview. mittee (CARC), has commented that ploration stage, insufficient opportu- the BHP review was neither rigorous Diamonds in the rough nity for concerned citizens to partici- 77 (Nature Canada, Fall, 1994, nor procedurally fair. Communities pate in the process, lack of adequate pp. 21-31) were not adequately included, in scrutiny of projects, inadequate time This magazine article, written by Ed part because the EA panel was oper- Struzik, provides an overview of the given to the reviews, and conflict of concerns voiced by different parties in- ating with very limited time and fi- volved in the BHP Ekati diamond mine interest issues that arise when the nancial resources.(74) project in the Northwest Territories. government is both financeer and Prior to the hearings, people were These include opinions from industry, regulator of a project. First Nation, community and environ- given several months to prepare. mental groups. However, there were many barriers

Canadian Institute of Re- EA lacking for explora- to participating in this process. The 78 source Law. 1997. Inde- tion phase company’s environmental impact pendent Review of the statement (EIS), which was almost BHP Diamond Mine Process (A As outlined in the section on En- 1,000 pages long, became available report prepared for the Department vironmental Impacts, there are at a time when many people were of Indian Affairs and Northern De- many potential impacts related to velopment) out of communities and busy with the exploration phase. Yet in many their traditional harvesting activi- jurisdictions there is no proc ess to ties. Funding was limited and did evaluate these impacts, especially not allow for adequate preparation of 24 MiningWatch Canada detailed arguments and positions. In 1996, Royal Oak’s Kemess For example, because the EIS was mine in northern BC received Environmental written in a very technical language both provincial and federal ap- Assessment and was only available in English, proval after going through an en- preparatory discussions and work- vironmental review process, which BC Court quashes gov- 79 shops were necessary in communi- the BC environment minister at ernment approval of northern mine ties where English was not a first the time, Moe Sihota, called a (Canadian Press Newswire, language in order to prepare re- “sound and thorough environ- 06/29/00) sponses for the hearings. No re- mental assessment.” Yet, only a In a stinging rebuke to the provincial sources or time had been allocated couple months after the project government, a BC Supreme Court jus- tice has quashed approval for a contro- for these purposes.(43) was approved, the company re- versial mine on a tributary of the Taku Only $254,000 was paid to inter- vealed that the soils at the loca- River in northwestern British Columbia. venors during the BHP review. “We tion of the planned mill site were Cabinet ministers failed to take into unstable. account the views of the Tlingit First have a limited budget,” said Michel Nation when deciding to give the project Dorais, then head of the Canadian “It suggests that somebody did a green light, said Justice Pamela Environmental Assessment Agency, not do their homework,” said Kirkpatrick in a ruling released Wednes- day. which administers the Fed- “The failure goes to the heart of the eral EA Act, and distrib- environmental review process and, as utes intervenor funding. such, renders the minister’s decision unreasonable,” she said in her judg- (76) The federal agency ment. could not find sufficient funding to evaluate the Court rejects mine near 80 potential impacts of the edge of Jasper Park: A judge rules a controver- project on communities, yet sial mine did not get enough the federal government ex- information on environmental pects to receive an esti- impacts mated $2.5 billion in royal- (Vancouver Sun, 04/10/99, B4) A controversial open-pit coal mine ties and taxes from the proposed for the boundary of a Rocky Ekati project.(43) Mountain national park has received a The Canadian Arctic second setback, this time at the hands of the courts. Resources Committee has The Federal Court of Canada has The roads and camps built to collect core samples noted that other envi- ruled that the environmental assess- and do other exploration work can leave a lasting ment of the Cheviot mine, which would ronmental reviews, some mark on the landscape run along the boundary of Jasper Na- of much less technical tional Park, did not collect enough infor- complexity, have received more in- mation about cumulative effects of the Rosemary Fox of the Sierra Club. mine together with other industrial ac- tervenor funding than the BHP re- “It shatters one’s confidence in the tivity. view. The Pearson International Air- In his decision, Justice Douglas Camp- integrity of the review process.” bell wrote: “I find that the Joint Review port Expansion panel received just The company wanted to move Panel breached its duty to obtain all over $1 million; close to $4 million in available information about likely for- the mill to a location that was spe- funding was allocated for the Great estry in the vicinity of the project, to cifically rejected during the EA consider this information with respect to Whale project; and the Northern Dis- process. Fox said this proposal cumulative environmental effects, to eased Bison review—scarcely the made “a mockery of both the pro- reach conclusions and make recommen- revenue-generating project that the dations about this factor and to substan- vincial and federal environmental tiate these conclusions and recommen- BHP project is—was given more processes.”(75) dations in the Joint Panel report.” than $500,000.(76) Critics of the BHP federal envi- 81 The Pits: BC’s Huckle- ronmental review have called it “a berry mine raises more Lack of scientific and shoddy and hurried assess- concerns about flaws in the en- ment.”(76) vironmental assessment and technical scrutiny conflicts of interest in govern- The head of the Canadian En- EA reviews have been criticized ment (Alternatives, 23(2), Spring vironmental Assessment Agency 1997, pp. 4, 5) as being less than rigorous in their acknowledged that the federal EA The BC government has been involved scrutiny of mining projects. in the Huckleberry mining project from process has become more hurried Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 25 in recent years. “These things were Bill Fuller, a retired zoologist Environmental not a problem a few years ago, when from the University of Alberta, ap- Assessment we had two major projects to assess a peared in front of the EA panel for year and no budget problems. . . but the BHP project. He told the panel now we have six major panels a year that more analysis was needed on and a limited budget.”(76) caribou, as well as on the eating and

The public process was truncated Case Study: Tulsequah Chief and essentially corrupted at a crit i- cal stage despite deficiencies ident i- Major controversies erupted following the approval of Red- fied by many participants. The TRTFN, a member of the EA fern Resources’ (now Redcorp Ventures Inc.’s) Tulsequah project review committee, issued a detailed critique of the Chief mine proposal to reopen an old Cominco mine and draft report in which they identified major deficiencies in the build a 160-km road into the Taku, a roadless wilderness data and assessment.(82) In spite of their objections, the BC area in northwestern BC. government rapidly approved the mine. Concerns with the proposal and assessment process came The BC assessment of the Tulsequah Chief mine came from a number of camps: the Taku River Tlingit First Nation shortly after the federal government agreed to “harmonize” (TRTFN) expressed concerns about how the mine would im- its EA rules with those of the provinces, a move environme n- pact the future of their land, their people and the outcome of talists claim opened the door to perfunctory reviews. treaty negotiations underway as the mine was proposed; the Brian Jack, a member of the Tlingit First Nation, has Alaskan government raised fears that the mine and subse- worked to re -establish a Native fishery in the upper Taku w a- quent developments would damage their lucrative salmon tershed. He says he lost his faith in environmental reviews, fishery; and a range of BC and Alaskan environmental groups and in the ability of both British Columbia and the federal argued that the mine and its 160 km. access road would dis- government to protect the land that is the center of his life rupt grizzly bear and caribou habitat, impact key salmon and livelihood. Weir argues that it is local people, such as habitat and lead to the long-term degradation of the previ- Brian Jack and the other fishermen and fisherwomen who ously unroaded valley area through exposure to logging ac- depend on the Taku, who will pay the price for inadequate tivities and other mineral exploration and development.(17) assessments like this.(17) Janet Kowalski, director of habitat for the Alaska Depart- As a result of their concerns, the Taku River Tlingit First ment of Fish and Game, said that BC’s environmental review Nation (TRTFN) filed a legal challenge against the BC gov- failed to answer key questions, including what impact the ernment asking that the mine approval be quashed due to project will have on the millions of sockeye, coho and chi- procedural irregularities and lack of adequate data or consul- nook salmon in the Taku River. The proposed mine is located tation to resolve the outstanding threat to the Tlingit people on the Tulsequah River, a major tributary of the Taku River. and the ecological values of the Taku Valley. The Alaskans are concerned about “inadequate tailings dis- posal” in the historical flood plain of a major salmon river, in In June 2000, the Supreme Court of BC agreed with the an area prone to earthquakes and floods. Kowalski said her Tlingits and quashed the decision of the Ministers to issue state is pro-mining but would never allow such a project. the Project Approval Certificate to Redfern Resources. They (17,19,22,23) required the Project Committee to reconvene to address out- standing issues, and to submit any new recommendations Don Weir of the Taku Wilderness Association said he un- report to the Ministers. The Court concluded that in this derstands that you have to share the wilderness, but proper case "it is clear that the Ministers' reasons demonstrate that environmental reviews are fundamental to making decisions the statutory obligation to promote sustainability, an object about development. This one, he said, was deeply flawed of the EAA, was not fully addressed. They noted errors in because key questions identified in the EA were never an- procedure, substance and the constitutionality of the BC swered, about habitat impacts, access management and long mine approval decision. (79) term toxic waste problems. The many documents filed by the company did not address key local issues and were not of a In 1998, the Auditor-General’s Office found serious defi- quality that gave people confidence in the process. ciencies in the federal EA process and noted that Ottawa of- ten fails to ensure that companies follow up on their prom- The Tulsequah Chief mine project was subject to both a ises to mitigate environmental damage. (83) provincial and federal assessment which was conducted over three years. During this time Alaskans, the Tlingit and envi- Further criticism has come from the House of Commons ronmentalists contributed to the BC environmental review, environment committee, which has condemned Ottawa for but all were given less than 48 hours to review a draft of the not enforcing crucial laws, especially in remote areas like the Pacific Northwest.(84) 104-page project -committee report.

26 MiningWatch Canada migratory habits of other northern is not a technical review per se.” Fur- animals such as fox and grizzly thermore, the panel did not retain Environmental bears. legal or technical experts to help it Assessment “They’re spending billions on frame its own interests, raise ques- this,” said Fuller. “Why can’t [the tions, or assist others to explore tech- was given a $15 million infrastructure nical issues. It is possible that the loan to complete the project. Informa- company] wait a year or two? Then tion released by the Canadian Tax- we’ll know better what sort of re- panel expected government agencies payer’s Federation indicates that an strictions need to be put on.”(3) to come forward with sound technical Order-in-Council was also used to extin- analyses of the pr oposal. Some did, guish a $28.8 million government loan David Schindler, a professor at owed by Princeton’s former wholly- notably the NWT Department of Re- the University of Alberta, also ap- owned subsidiary, Cassiar Mining Corp. newable Resources. Others, however, peared in front of the panel as a did little to advance the technical in- 82 Taku River Tlingit First Na- technical expert. He was shocked by vestigation. Some departments were tion (TRTFN). March 6, the speed with which the environ- 1998. Tulsequah Chief mine re- absent from the proceedings, hardly mental hearings were held, given the opening project: report and in keeping with the panel’s request amount of data that had to be re- recommendations of the for information from all relevant and TRTFN, project committee viewed. “I thought they would have involved agencies. member, with respect to a de- wanted me for half a day, not fifteen cision on a project approval minutes.”(3) As CARC asked, “If the BHP re- certificate by the minister of view was not intended to examine environment, lands and parks An environmental review, by pur- technical aspects of the project, un- and the minister of energy and suing standards of comprehensive- der whose auspices and when will mines. ness, rigour and fairness, is intended This document is available on-line at such a review take place?”(74) to give the government impartial ad- the following address: http://emcbc. In addition to a lack of consider a- miningwatch.org/emcbc/library/ vice on whether a project should pr o- tulsequah_TRTFN.htm ceed, and if so, under what condi- tion of technical issues, the cumula- tions. tive impacts of mining proposals are 83 Auditor General of Canada. often not given adequate consider a- 1998 Report of the Com- Mining projects are complex and missioner of the Environment technical by na- and Sustainable Development. ture. It follows, Chapter six: Environmental Assess- ther efore, that ment – a critical tool for sustainable development EA panels Environmental assessment is sup- should take posed to identify potentially significant time to exam- adverse environmental effects and any ine the techni- mitigation measures that will reduce them to insignificance. Federal authori- cal issues in ties have generally been including miti- order to fully gation measures in the terms and condi- understand tions of their approval, or building them into related contract documents. It is the implica- less obvious from the information pro- tions of the vided to us that responsible authorities project before verified whether mitigation measures were actually implemented by project making recom- proponents. In some cases, depart- mendations on ments said they had to allocate scarce whether or not resources to activities other than the it should be monitoring of mitigation. This report can be found at the follow- developed. The historic Tulsequah Chief mine releases acid drainage into the ing web address: http://www.oag-bvg. This was Tulsequah River, a major tributary of the Taku gc.ca/domino/reports.nsf/html/ c8menu_e.html not the case with the BHP environmental review. tion during environmental assess- 84 Standing Committee on En- vironment and Sustainable An article written by CARC docu- ments and reviews. ments the panel’s failure to address Development. Report 3, The Ekati diamond mine in the Enforcing Canada's Pollution technical issues.(74) The article re- NWT became a major focus of atten- Laws: The Public Interest Must lates that during the course of the Come First!. Canadian Environ- tion for northern interest groups and BHP hearings the panel chair stated, mental Protection Act enforcement First Nations because it is likely to “I would also like to stress that this Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 27 be the first of many diamond mines. too general to be very helpful.(78) Environmental As well, the potential infrastructure The need for more comprehen- Assessment required to service these mines (e.g., sive and accurate scientific input on roads, powerlines) has a high likeli- cumulative impacts and environ- study (Tabled in the House May 25, hood of attracting other industrial mental risks has been recognized at 1998) developments previously considered the judicial level. There have been Based on the evidence before it, the Committee concluded that Canadians uneconomical. In short, development two successful legal challenges are not getting the high level of environ- of BHP’s Ekati mine could lead to a brought by the public against recent mental protection that they deserve. A transformation of the physical and mining environmental assessments. number of problems with enforcement were raised by the Committee. economic face of the Far North. The courts have quashed approvals One major impediment concerned the “Even when an environmental at the Tulsequah mine in northwest- lack of both human and financial re- ern British Columbia and the Chev- sources required to meet the challenges screening is done there are serious of an ever-increasing workload. flaws in the process,” says Stewart iot mine near Jasper, Alberta. (79, Under the federal government's pro- Elgie, lawyer with the Sierra Legal 80) gram review, Environment Canada has Defence Fund. “First, government had to reduce its overall budget by about 40%. An example of the effects regulators don’t have the baseline Conflict of interest issues of the Green Plan's expiry was provided data to make environmental predic- by Peter Krahn, Head of the Inspections tions because the science required to In addition to budgetary problems Division for the Pacific and Yukon Re- reducing the scope and amount of gion. He said that on April 1, 1998, his determine how watersheds will be region’s inspection budget will drop by affected – or how grizzly bears, participation in the assessment proc- 30%. With respect to the ability to in- wolves and other animals are going ess, there are other pressures that spect, Krahn expects that inspections may be contributing to the fast- will drop from 550 down to about 385, to respond to the activity – has not while investigations in progress will drop been done. Secondly, the govern- tracking of proposals through the EA from 25 down to about 16. ments are basing their decision on stage. Web address for the report: http:// The rush for the promise of jobs www.parl.gc.ca/InfoComDoc/ENSU/ the impact of one project, not on the Studies/Reports/ensurp03-e.htm cumulative impacts of all that is go- and tax revenues can and has cre- 85 ing on in the diamond mining terri- ated conflicts for governments who The Great Giveaway: a tory. In essence, the whole in this have the responsibility of regulating flawed process led the province’s approval of northern case is far bigger than the sum of its the environmental impact of mining BC mine (Nanaimo Times, parts.”(77) projects. 01/16/96) The Canadian Arctic Resources In some cases, the government The Cheslatta Carrier Nation has peti- tioned the BC Supreme Court to set Committee echoes Elgie’s comments. may also have a direct stake in a aside the province’s decision to approve The committee has written that, proposed mine. the Huckleberry copper mine in north- “What should have been a compr e- The province of BC was both an western BC. The petition, filed by Sierra Legal Defence Fund on behalf of the hensive regional assessment now investor and regulator of Princeton Cheslatta, claims that the provincial stands as a very limited analysis of a Mining Corp.’s Huckleberry Mine government failed to abide by the re- single project, with reference neither Environmental As- project in northwestern BC.(81) In quirements of the to the potential for greater develop- sessment Act by accepting the mining December 1996, the BC government ment nor to long-term cumulative company’s incomplete project report approved the copper mine project, and approving the project. effects.”(43) even though the company had not Virtually everyone involved in the “submitted cost projections for long- BHP public hearings expected the term monitoring and maintenance of EA panel to recommend clear, de- the facility after closure . . . con- tailed terms and conditions to mini- ducted fish tissue sampling to deter- mize environmental costs and maxi- mine background levels of mercury mize economic benefits to aboriginal and other metals . . . provided model- peoples and other northerners. How- ing of long-term pit water quality. . . ever, the failure of the EA panel to or assessed the impact on humans of provide adequate scrutiny of the po- mine discharge.”(85) All of this infor- tential and cumulative impacts of mation was required by the project the project resulted in recommenda- report specifications outlined by the tions that were perceived as being provincial government. Just a few

28 MiningWatch Canada months later, the company received breadth of potential impacts, and to a $15 million infrastructure loan to develop strategies to prevent or miti- Environmental complete their project.(85) gate these impacts, there is a need to Assessment ensure thorough scrutiny of develop- ment proposals. Conclusions: the Fu- When EA hearings are held, it is ture of EA the responsibility of EA panels to conduct environmental reviews that: As Susan Wismer writes, “Experience to date with the BHP à include human social and cul- tural concerns, in addition to eco- review raises serious questions about system impacts; the state of environmental assess- à provide a fair hearing to all af- ment in Canada. As a regulatory and fected parties and incorporate planning mechanism designed to en- their concerns into the decision sure fair, effective and efficient deci- making process; sion making, it does not seem to be à take into consideration tradi- working.”(43) tional knowledge as well as de- David Schindler, internationally tailed, technical Western-science- “It’s really disgraceful renowned scientist and professor at based information; the way [the environ- the University of Alberta, partici- à address the question of long- term, cumulative impacts of the mental assessment proc- pated in the BHP process. Schindler ess] operates now. This says that he believes it is time for project; à seriously consider alternatives to the federal review process to be kind of thing is a throw- the project and alternative ways given the means and legal power to back to the Dark Ages, of carrying out the project; and conduct its business. “It’s really dis- and I can’t help but think à allocate enough time for a thor- graceful the way it operates now,” he ough review. that as a country, we’ll says. “This kind of thing is a throw- Due consideration of all of the some day regret that there back to the Dark Ages, and I can’t above factors is essential if EA pan- was so much hurry to give help but think that as a country, els are to make informed recommen- so much away to the mul- we’ll some day regret that there was dations on whether the development tinationals when there so much hurry to give so much away should proceed, and if so, what types was plenty of time to to the multinationals when there of mitigative measures need to be think this thing through. was plenty of time to think this thing undertaken. through. After all, the diamonds After all, the diamonds Throughout the EA process, there aren’t going to go away.”(77) aren’t going to go away.” must be a greater commitment on In the 1970s, many people saw the part of governments at both the — David Schindler, partici- the Berger Inquiry as the beginning provincial and federal levels to seri- pant in the assessment of of an era in which environmental as- ously address all parties’ concerns. BHP’s Ekati diamond mine sessment could be used to balance Only then will regulators be able to out the inequities inherent in large- make informed decisions as to what scale resource development projects, is “acceptable” to all people poten- ensure accountability and inject a tially affected by a mining develop- suitable tone of precaution into deci- ment. sion making. Experience with federal Mining is only one of a spectrum and provincial review processes sug- of development options in any area. gests, however, the Berger Inquiry At the end of the day, if it is shown may have been the high point of an that impacts cannot be mitigated or era, rather than its beginning.(43) prevented, governments must have EA is supposed to determine the integrity and political will to de- whether mining projects can be de- cide that a mining project is not an veloped without having unacceptable appropriate development for a par- impacts. ticular community or region. In order to truly understand the

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 29 Appendix 1: Contact Organizations

Here are a few places to look for further independent, not-for- regional chapters, profit research and CPAWS works to achieve information on mining impacts. Groups with un- education organization. the creation of New derlined names are members of MiningWatch Parks, to protect the Canada. CIELAP's mission is to develop and advance integrity of existing parks, to protect natural Canadian Arctic North York, ON M2H proposals for the reform Resources 3H9 of environmental law and connections, and to Committee (CARC) tel: (416) 495-6459 public policy. CIELAP's improve conservation This citizens’ fax: (416) 495-6554 research is presented in laws and policy. organization with offices email: [email protected] a manner that assists Suite 506, 880 in Yellowknife and web: http://www.caw. public interest groups, Wellington Street Ottawa conducts ca government, industry Ottawa ON K1R 6K7 research and advocacy and individuals in their tel: 1 (800) 333-WILD work on issues related Canadian daily decision-making. (9453) or (613) 569- Environmental Law 7226 (in Ottawa) mineral exploration and 517 College Street, Association fax: (613) 569-7098 development in the Slave Suite 400 email: [email protected] Geological Province The Canadian Toronto On M6G 4A2 web: http://www. between Yellowknife and Environmental Law tel: 416-923-3529 cpaws.org/ Association (CELA) is a the Arctic coast. fax: 416-923-5949 non-profit, public interest In Yellowknife: email: cielap@cielap. Citizens Mining Council tel: (867) 873-4715 organization established org of Newfoundland and Labrador email: [email protected] in 1970 to use existing web: http://www. In Ottawa: laws to protect the cielap.org/ The Citizens Mining

Suite 200, 7 Hinton environment and to Council provides support St. advocate environmental Canadian Nature and information to Federation Ottawa, ON K1Y 4P1 law reforms. It is also a communities on mining tel: (613) 759-4284 free legal advisory clinic CNF is a non -profit and mine impacts. email: [email protected] for the public, and will conservation 34 Rennie’s Mill Road web: http://www.carc. act at hearings and in organization with over St. John’s Nfld org/ courts on behalf of 40,000 supporters and a A1C 3P8 citizens or citizens’ network of more than CAW Social Justice tel/fax: (709) 722-8159 groups who are otherwise Fund 100 affiliated naturalist unable to afford legal groups. The CNF's Environmental Mining The CAW Social assistance. mission is to protect Council of British Justice Fund provides 401-517 College nature, its diversity and Columbia solidarity assistance to Street the processes that EMCBC works with non-profit and Toronto ON M6G 4A2 sustain it. communities, labour humanitarian projects tel: (416) 960-2284 Suite 606, One unions, government and within Canada and fax (416) 960-9392 Nicholas Street industry toward the around the world. The email: [email protected] Ottawa ON K1N 7B7 environmental reform of CAW Social Justice Fund web: http://www.cela. tel: 1-800-267-4088 mining practices and was first negotiated in ca email: [email protected] regulation through 1990. Where CAW web: http://www.cnf. research, education, members have won the Canadian Institute for ca/ dialogue and advocacy. Social Justice Fund in Environmental Law and negotiations, the Policy Canadian Parks and 201-607 Yates Street employer pays into the Founded in 1970, The Wilderness Society Victoria BC V8W 2A7 tel: (250) 384-2686 Fund one cent per hour Canadian Institute for A national fax: (250) 384-2620 worked per worker. Environmental Law and organization with over email: 205 Placer Court Policy (CIELAP) is an 13,000 members and ten

30 MiningWatch Canada emcbc@miningwatch. assistance for mining- conservation; forest org affected communities; health, land use, and Contact web: http://emcbc. and sponsors community- wilderness Organizations miningwatch.org based workshops on protection; waste mining. management and water uswa.ca Innu Nation tel: (202) 887-1872 quality issues; mining; and militarization. In Yukon Conservation The Innu of eastern email: Society Quebec and Labrador mpc@mineralpolicy. addition to acting on have opposed mineral org these issues as a This environmental exploration at Emish web: http://www. representative body, group located in since 1995. The Voisey's mineralpolicy.org Northwatch also provides Whitehorse, YT, focuses Bay nickel mine at support to local citizen's on issues relevant to Emish is the latest Project Underground groups addressing these northern Canada, including mining, threat to Innu land and Project Underground and other environmental forestry, wildlife, Innu rights, intensifying works toward exposing concerns in their own contaminants and the impacts of the low- corporate environmental community. energy. level flight training, road and human rights P.O. Box 282 expansion, industrial abuses, and supports North Bay ON P1B P.O. Box 4163 forestry and communities facing the 8H2 Whitehorse YT Y1A hydroelectric mining and oil tel: (705) 497-0373 3T3 fax: 867-668-6637 developments which have industries. fax: (705) 476-7060 already had profound email: tel: (867) 668-5678 tel: (510) 705-8981 email: ycs@polarcom. cultural and [email protected] email: web: http://www. com environmental project_underground@ onlink.net/~nwatch/ consequences. moles.org [email protected] Sheshatshui, LB A0P web: http://www. 1MO moles.org United Steelworkers of Telephone 709-497- America (USWA) — 8398 Inter Pares Canada Fax (709) 497-8396 The name Inter Pares The USWA had its Web site: http://www. means “among equals”, origins in the steel and innu.ca mining industries, and is Email: innuenv@web. and reflects the now a diverse union net collaborative approach representing taken by this interna- approximately 200,000 Mineral Policy Center tional development Canadian workers. The (MPC) organization. USWA web site has 58 Arthur Street This US-based plenty of information on organization is dedicated Ottawa ON K1R 7B7 tel: (613) 569-3439 issues including: to preventing Steelworkers working for environmental impacts North Watch women; health, safety associated with Northwatch is a and environment; irresponsible mining and regional coalition of factsheets on mining for mineral development, environmental and health and safety and to cleaning up citizen organizations and activists; labour pollution caused by past individual members, campaigns; and links to mining. MPC carries out operating throughout other labour mining-related research; northeastern Ontario. organizations. publishes books and Founded in January of National Office, reports; lobbies for 1988, Northwatch has as Toronto, ON: legislative and regulatory a priority issues that are tel: (416) 487-1571 reform of mining laws; of a regional nature : email: [email protected] provides technical energy use and web: http://www.

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 31 Appendix 2: MiningWatch Canada

Aims and Objectives the monitoring, analysis and advocacy necessary to affect the Selected MiningWatch MiningWatch Canada (MWC) is a behaviour of industry and public Canada publications pan-Canadian initiative supported decision-makers. (available in print from our of- by environmental, social justice, A national non -profit with fice or on our website at Aboriginal and labour organisations http://www.miningwatch.ca): dedicated staff in an Ottawa-based from across the country. It addresses office, and supporting initiatives à A Research Agenda for the urgent need for a co-ordinated from partners in affected Communities Affected by public interest response to the communities in Canada and around Large-Scale Mining Ac- threats to public health, water and the world, MiningWatch Canada is tivity, prepared as part of air quality, fish and wildlife habitat the "On the Ground Re- governed by a Board of Directors and community interests posed by comprised of a range of experts, search" project, Novem- irresponsible mineral policies and ber 6, 2000 community leaders and activists practices in Canada and around the à On The Ground Re- from across Canada. world. search: A Workshop to Identify the Research The MiningWatch Canada office Needs of Communities opened in April 1999. MiningWatch Activities Affected by Large-Scale Canada shares infrastructure and MiningWatch Canada has an Mining • Workshop Re- services with the Canadian Parks impact on the accountability of policy port and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) in makers and industry alike with four à Presentation to the a central Ottawa location. House of Commons main activities. We: The aims of MiningWatch Canada Standing Committee on à Provide an Ottawa-based are to: Foreign Affairs on mining monitoring function of mining issues in Central Asia à ensure that mineral development companies, government agencies, à Submission to the Public practices are consistent with the and industry associations; Hearings on applications goals of sustainable communities à Carry out and disseminate high by Canadian United Min- and ecological health; quality research highlighting erals for licences to con- à strengthen technical and current problems with mineral duct mineral exploration strategic skills within policies and practices; in Tombstone Park, May communities and organisations à Promote a well-grounded public 1, 2000 faced with impacts of mineral agenda for reform of selected à Submission to CEAA re- development; industry practices and garding the Five-Year à impose appropriate terms and government policy; Review of the Canadian conditions on mining and in à Increase regional intervention Environmental Assess- some cases prevent the capacity by facilitating ment Act (CEAA), March development of projects that information exchange, effective 31, 2000 would adversely affect areas of communications and joint à Abandoned Mines in ecological, economic and cultural strategic initiatives among Canada • a study done by significance; and affected public stakeholders. W.O. Mackasey for Min- à advocate policies to improve the à Link with other activist and non- ingWatch efficiency and reduce the risks of governmental organisations à Critique of the Mining mineral development. around the world to exchange Association of Canada MiningWatch Canada is a direct information and strategies Environmental Progress response to industry and government around specific projects and Report, 1999 failures to protect the public and the corporations as well as policy à Mining's Toxic Orphans: environment from destructive and legal questions. A Plan for Action on Fed- mining practices and to deliver on MiningWatch Canada and its eral Contaminated and their sustainability rhetoric. With member organisations are able to Unsafe Mines technical and strategic expertise play many roles. In some cases MWC from across Canada, MiningWatch staff take a lead in carrying out Canada will carry out and/or support research and advocacy efforts; in

32 MiningWatch Canada others MWC plays a limited Personnel facilitation or support role or MiningWatch watching brief as other organisations The MWC national office is Canada with particular expertise or staffed by: jurisdiction take the lead. à National Coordinator, Joan Kuyek MiningWatch Canada will take à Research Co-ordinator, primary responsibility for delivering Catherine Coumans the following over and above its à Communications specific Ottawa-based monitoring Coordinator, Jamie Kneen. and support activities over the next two years: Membership à Seminar to develop a Founded in 1999, Community-based participatory Membership in MWC is comprised MiningWatch Canada framework to account for the full of not-for-profit organisations serves as a resource on costs of mining. This will bring working on environmental, social mining issues for together community justice, international development communities, workers, representatives from around the and aboriginal issues. Member world who had suffered the and First Nations across impacts of Canadian mining groups serve as primary program Canada. companies to share their stories. and campaign pa rtners and assist à Develop and deliver a critical in the development of strategy via review of a number of input to the annual meeting. government policies affecting the Membership applications are minerals sector approved by the Board of à Development and publication of MiningWatch Canada. a Framework for Responsible Membership is not available to for- Mining Practices in collaboration with the USA's Mineral Policy profit organisations or associations Center. thereof. MWC programs and à Community support and capacity services are also accessible to non- building in the regions, including member groups. a national database/inventory of advanced mining projects, Web site, listserv and quarterly email bulletin, an expert referral directory, and a small grants Contact us at: support program to assist regional group campaigns and MiningWatch Canada/ programs. Mines Alerte Suite 508, Board of Directors City Centre Building Legally, MiningWatch Canada is 880 Wellington St. a federally registered non -profit Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6K7 society, with an thirteen -member Canada Board of Directors. tel: (613) 569-3439 The Directors have expertise and fax: (613) 569-5138 experience in geoscience, human email: health sciences, political [email protected] communications, resource law, web: campaigning, organisational http://www.miningwatch.ca management and fund-raising, international development and aboriginal issues.

Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 33

Photo by Lisa Sumi

Acidic drainage, Baker Mine, BC

What are the social and environmental impacts of mining in remote areas? Full of relevant case studies and documen- tary coverage, this booklet serves as a de- tailed introduction to the particularly press- ing issues raised by existing and proposed mineral developments in areas like Canada’s North.