The Boreal Below: Mining Issues and Activities in Canada’s Boreal Forest Region Table of Contents 1.0 Purpose / Context of Report ............................................1 2.0 Mining the Boreal ....................................................2 2.1 An Introduction to the Boreal as a Mining Region .............................2 2.2 The Ecology of the Boreal Forest Region ...................................3 2.3 Definition and Delineation of the Boreal Forest and the Boreal Ecozones ..........4 2.4 A Socioeconomic Snapshot ..............................................5 2.5 Major Anthropogenic Impacts ............................................8 3.0 The Mining Sequence .................................................10 3.1 An Overview of the Mining Sequence.....................................10 3.2 Prospecting..........................................................11 3.3 Exploration..........................................................12 3.5 Mine Development and Operation........................................14 3.6 Milling and Smelting ..................................................15 3.7 Closure and Decommissioning...........................................16 3.8 Perpetual Care........................................................18 4.0 Earth, Water, Fire, Air ................................................19 4.1 Earth: Land, Surface and Soil ............................................19 4.1.1 Access to the Land Base ................................................19 4.1.2 Surface Disturbance ...................................................20 4.1.3 Contaminated Soil .....................................................21 4.2 Water: Mining’s Industrial Sink ..........................................22 4.2.1 Acid Mine Drainage ...................................................22 4.2.2 Mine and Mill Effluent .................................................25 4.2.3 Sediments ...........................................................28 4.2.4 Water Consumption ...................................................30 4.3 Fire: Energy Consumer .................................................30 4.4 Air: Source of life, industrial sink ........................................31 4.4.1 Sulphur Dioxide Emissions .............................................31 4.4.3 Air Emissions ........................................................32 5.0 The Canadian Mining Scene ...........................................34 5.1 Mining the Boreal ....................................................34 5.2 Canadian Mining Companies at Home .....................................35 5.3 Canadian Mining Companies Abroad ......................................36 5.4 Industry Associations ..................................................37 5.5 The Governments.....................................................39 5.5.1 The Federal Government ...............................................39 5.5.2 The Provincial and Territorial Governments ................................40 5.6 Key Canadian Issues ...................................................41 5.6.1 Abandoned Mines .....................................................41 5.6.2 Taxation and Subsidies .................................................42 5.6.3 Environmental Assessment .............................................43 5.6.4 Land Access .........................................................45 5.6.5 Lack of Regulation ....................................................45 6.0 Canada as a Mining Jurisdiction ........................................46 6.1 An Introduction to Political and Regulatory Trends ...........................46 6.2 Increasing Public and Environmental Liability through Deregulation .............48 6.2.1 Budget cuts, reduced government presence and non-compliance ................48 6.2.2 Deregulation by restructuring ............................................49 6.2.2.1 Deregulation of Exploration .............................................50 6.2.2.3 Deregulation of mining operations (mining, milling, smelting, refining, etc.) .......52 6.2.2.4 Decommissioning and closure, reclamation and rehabilitation ..................52 6.4 Synthesis: Mining and the Boreal Forest in 21st Century Canada................54 6.4.1 International Factors ...................................................54 6.4.2 Domestic factors ......................................................56 6.4.2.1 Control Over Domestic Costs ............................................56 6.4.2.2 Land Access .........................................................57 6.4.2.3 Investment Conditions .................................................57 7.0 Across Canada’s Boreal ...............................................59 7.1 Atlantic .............................................................59 7.1.1 Overview of Mining in Newfoundland and Labrador .........................59 7.2 Québec .............................................................62 7.2.1 Overview of Mining in Québec ..........................................62 7.2.2 Case Study: Abitibi Tèmiscamingue ......................................66 7.2.2.1 Introduction ..........................................................66 7.2.2.2 Overview ............................................................66 7.2.2.3 Issues ...............................................................67 7.3 Ontario .............................................................70 7.3.1 Overview ............................................................70 7.3.2 Case Study: Operations at Placer Dome’s Campbell Mine .....................72 7.3.2.1 Introduction ..........................................................72 7.3.2.2 Overview ............................................................72 7.3.2.3 Issues ...............................................................73 7.3.3 Case Study: North American Palladium’s Lac Des Iles Mine ...................76 7.3.3.1 Introduction ..........................................................76 7.3.3.2 Overview ............................................................76 7.3.3.3 Issues ...............................................................77 7.3.4 Case Study: Closure at Barrick Gold’s Renabie Mine .........................79 7.3.4.1 Introduction ..........................................................79 7.3.4.2 Overview ............................................................80 7.3.4.3 Issues ...............................................................80 7.4 Prairie Region ........................................................83 7.4.1 Overview of Mining in Manitoba .........................................83 7.4.2 Case Study: Flin Flon ..................................................85 7.4.2.1. Introduction ..........................................................85 7.4.2.2 Overview ............................................................85 7.4.2.3 Issues ...............................................................86 7.4.3 Overview of Mining in Saskatchewan .....................................91 7.4.4 Overview of Mining in Alberta ..........................................93 7.5 The Northwest ........................................................96 7.5.1 Overview of Mining in British Columbia ...................................96 7.5.2 Overview of Mining in the Yukon ........................................99 7.5.3 Case Study: Faro .....................................................102 7.5.3.1 Introduction .........................................................102 7.5.3.2 Overview ...........................................................102 7.5.3.3 Issues ..............................................................104 7.5.4 Overview of Mining in the Northwest Territories ...........................106 8.0 Between a Rock and a Hard Place: First Nations and the Mineral Sector .....110 8.1 Introduction .........................................................110 8.2 Issues and Impacts ...................................................111 8.3 Rights and Responses .................................................113 9.0 Looking Back, Moving Forward .......................................118 Appendices Map of Mining Activity in Canada’s Boreal Forest A List of Mines in the Boreal Forest Region, Sorted by Mine Name B List of Mines in the Boreal Forest Region, Sorted by Province and Mine Name C List of Mines in the Boreal Forest Region, Sorted by Status (Exploration, Closed, Operating, Abandoned Acid Generating or Smelter), Province & Mine D List of Acid-Generating Abandoned Mines in the Boreal Forest Region E Methodology for Mapping Component F Selected Readings on Mining, the Environment and Community Glossary of Selected Mining Terms 1.0 Purpose / Context of Report The report provides an overview and general analysis of mining activities and impacts, but falls short of being fully comprehensive, particularly in its cataloguing of mining activity (other than operating mines), chiefly because the time and resources allocated to the task permitted only an initial overview and inventorying. The report provides a solid and reliable overview and refers the reader to additional resources and information sources. The report was developed by MiningWatch Canada with a consortium of researchers and authors, including Northwatch mining campaigners Brennain Lloyd and Catherine Daniel, who assembled the inventory, researched and wrote all sections except those otherwise noted in this introduction, and edited the report into a single document; Colin Chambers and Hugh