cover image: THE IMPACTS OF MINING ACTIVITIES ON WATER - A technical and legislative guide

THE IMPACTS OF MINING ACTIVITIES ON WATER - A technical and legislative guide

8 Nov 2023

Some impacts of clearing land, deforestation, and stripping including: the destruction of ecosystems through the removal of thousands of cubic meters of soil and vegetation; the excavation or compaction of soils, wetlands or riverbeds affected by the construction of crossings (trenches, ruts, excavations, backfilling); erosion of soils, which generate suspended solids (TSS) in the water; and risks. [...] Among the elements evaluated in the context of the development of a mining project are: • An assessment of the site's geology and mineralogy; • An inventory of the site's water resources and an analysis of the water quality; • Hydrological and hydrogeological studies to quantify the water flowing over the site and define groundwater flow characteristics; 34 Francoeur, Louis-Gilles; Ramacieri, Jona. [...] In spite of these critical elements, and in the experience of the authors of this Guide, environmental assessments often take a direction that is incompatible with sustainable development,37 as assessments are sometimes quick to dismiss the notion of cumulative impacts and the carrying capacity of local environments; proof lies in the fact that the government approves all mining projects that reac. [...] It should also be noted that to ensure the validity and relevance of these tests, developers are required to ensure that samples43 are representative: the number of chosen samples must be sufficient and spatially well-distrib- uted, to accurately represent the mineralogy of the mine site and the conditions under which the mine waste will be stored. [...] As the law currently stands, it can be difficult to obtain the withdrawal of mining claims (section 82) based on the criteria suggested by section 304.72 This is a good example of the need for fundamental reform of the Mining Act, to introduce a decentralized mechanism for withdrawing mining claims that no longer depends solely on the will of the Minister of Natural Resources.73 4.1.2 Environmenta.

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Pages
51
Published in
Canada