Peace of mine

A resident was concerned about a municipality that was using aggregate (mining waste) from an abandoned mine as part of an infrastructure project and asked us to look into their concerns about this material. They wanted information about the potential environmental harm posed by the use of mining waste.

Result: We contacted the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Senior staff told us the Ministry had analyzed samples from the project and determined that the material would not cause environmental harm. Through these discussions, we also raised questions about how mining waste is regulated, particularly at abandoned mines. We continue to discuss related matters with Ministry officials, including the regulation of tailings dams (where mine waste is stored) and aggregate.