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Mine du lac Bloom - Champion

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montreal, March 7, 2022 – Environmental organizations denounce an imminent decision by the Quebec government to allow the Champion Iron mining company to destroy eight lakes by dumping mine tailings there, despite theunfavorable opinion from the Bureau d'audiences publics sur l'environnement du Québec (BAPE). The organizations are calling on Quebec not to move forward with this decision while adopting new regulations that would clearly prohibit this practice.

“This decision would go completely against the advice of many independent experts who proposed alternatives to avoid the destruction of lakes. We must not, once again, allow Quebec to bulldoze science and the environment for the benefit of private interests,” denounces Rébecca Pétrin of Eau Secours.  

Ugo Lapointe of Québec Meilleur Mine deplores the blatant contradictions between the government's actions and words: "Such a decision would completely discredit the public relations campaign that Quebec and the industry have been deploying for weeks with millions in advertising to "go green "the image of the industry".

André Bélanger from Fondation Rivières: “How can the government and industry on the one hand claim to want to manufacture wind turbines and green batteries from metals from Quebec, and on the other hand allow mining waste to be dumped into our lakes ? That does not make any sense. »

Henri Jacob from l'Action boréale: “With such a decision, the CAQ would once again demonstrate its contempt for the protection of the environment and the population by dismissing the BAPE's conclusions out of hand. The Legault government must stop being in the pay of the “money junkies” of the extractive industry.”

In a report severe published last year, the BAPE concluded that the promoter “made questionable choices” and “that it could be technically and economically feasible to backfill the excess of coarse mining residues in the pit” while avoiding destroying lakes.

Dr. Steve Emerman of Malach Consulting and Dr. Michel Aubertin, professor emeritus in the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering at the Polytechnique, agree in the same vein in technical reports submitted to the BAPE: “Minimizing the environmental footprint” and “protecting aquatic ecosystems” should be priority objectives.

For a new regulation

The organizations are urging Quebec to adopt a new regulation that would clearly prohibit the possibility of dumping mining waste into lakes. Rodrigue Turgeon of MiningWatch Canada specifies: “Although Quebec already has powers allowing it to prohibit this practice, this is a discretionary power applicable on a case-by-case basis. We are asking for a transversal regulation that would apply to all mines. »

Alice-Anne Simard of Nature Québec concludes: “Quebec must not be left behind by federal regulations. We completely agree with the BAPE's recommendation that Quebec adopt its own guide for evaluating alternative solutions for the storage of mining residues. The Legault government must transform its simple environmental directive into a regulation that has the force of law. The use of lakes, rivers and other water environments for the storage of mine tailings must clearly be prohibited. » 

Remember that the proponent is currently proposing to destroy eight lakes and numerous wetlands to store millions of tons of mining tailings, including an 88-hectare lake. The BAPE notes “that no other project” in Quebec has caused the loss of a lake “of this magnitude”. This would be a precedent. 

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For informations :

  • Rébecca Pétrin, Eau Secours, 514-246-9075
  • Ugo Lapointe, Coalition Québec Meilleur Mine, 514-708-0134
  • André Bélanger, Fondation Rivières, 514-272-2666, ext. 301
  • Rodrigue Turgeon, MiningWatch Canada, 819-444-9226
  • Alice-Anne Simard, Nature Québec, 418-803-4992

About the Quebec Better Mine Coalition

The Québec Meilleur Mine coalition is a bona fide organization founded in 2008 and has a mission to promote better mining practices and policies on social, environmental and economic levels in Quebec. Today it brings together around thirty organizations which collectively represent more than 300,000 individuals from across Quebec. Current members of the coalition include: Action boréale | Alternatives | Advanced ecology workshop (UQAM) | Artists for Peace | Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (ACME) | Hautes-Laurentides Environmental Protection Association (APEHL) | Association for the Protection of Lac au Taureau (APLT) | Quebec Association for the Fight against Atmospheric Pollution (AQLPA) | Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) | Center for research in education and training relating to the environment and eco-citizenship (Centr'ERE UQAM) | Coalition of Opponents to a Mining Project in Haute-Matawinie (COPH) | Stop Uranium Coalition of Baie-des-Chaleurs | Malartic Vigilance Committee | CSN Central Council of Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec | CSN Central Council of the Laurentides | Emergency Water | Ecojustice | Ecovigilance Baie-des-Chaleurs | Green Environment Plus Baie-des-Chaleurs | Fondation Rivières | Forum of the Institute of Environmental Sciences of UQAM | Justice solidarity group | Friends of the Earth of Quebec | Transnational Extractive Justice (JUST) | MiningWatchCanada | Minganie without uranium | Mauricie Green Movement | Nature Quebec | Health Professionals for Global Survival | Citizen group for the preservation of the greater bay of Sept-Îles | Group for nuclear surveillance | Group for the Protection of Small Nation Lakes (RPLPN) | Vigilance group on mines in Abitibi-Témiscamingue | Ecumenical Justice and Peace Network (ROJeP) | Quebec Network of Environmental Groups (RQGE) | Sept-Îles without uranium | Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP-Québec) | Society to Overcome Pollution (SVP) | Quebec Public and Parapublic Service Union (SFPQ).

Photo credit: Archives Radio-Canada


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