Cordillera - Mining

Welcome Students!

This section will focus on how industries and citizens have taken action towards mining. 

While reading the following section ask yourself "What are some things that the industry has done to help manage mining issues? Are these actions enough to preserve mining in the future?  What are some of the ways you and your family can live in a more sustainable way?"

Mining is the third largest industry in the Cordillera region. Here they mine mainly for coal, gold, zinc, copper, lead, silver, iron, and nickel. 

Some issues may be:

• Some mining activities have little impact on the environment, whereas advanced exploration and mining extraction have significantly transformed the landscape in some areas 
• Example: Major effects can be seen in the placer areas of the Klondike where large volumes of earth have been moved. Other effects include road development and the abandonment of equipment at mining and exploration sites.

• disturbing vegetation and wildlife habitat and limiting other land activities such as traditional use, hunting, trapping and recreation
• eroding of soils 
• disturbing streambanks, which affects fish and wildlife habitats;

Some of the actions taken to preserve forests:

• Mining sites must now comply with operating conditions (which represent the minimal performance levels and conditions for: re-establishing vegetation, erosion control, and many more)
• Companies who now wish to construct a mine must go through a rigorous assessment procedure under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA)
• Must go through an environmental review committee (including First Nations, individuals near the project, and government) and the mine will only proceed to the licensing stage after the environmental review committee has reviewed and agreed to the plan

Fun Links!
History of Mining
Mining Strategy in British Columbia

Citations:

Yukon state of the environment report. (1999). Land. Retrieved from http://www.env.gov.yk.ca/publications-maps/documents/chap3.pdf