The Media Room
Natural Resources Canada
2010/66
August 20, 2010
Government of Canada working to Improve Mining Sector’s Environmental Performance
Projects to gather knowledge on minimizing impact, improving competitiveness
THETFORD MINES, QUEBEC — The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Mégantic–L'Érable, today announced the launch of two projects aimed at increasing knowledge to minimize the environmental impact of mining.
“The Government of Canada is working to put Canada and Canadian companies at the forefront of green mining,” said Minister Paradis. “These projects will continue our mission to increase the competitive strength of the Canadian mining sector, better protect the health of Canadian families and help sustain the environment in the years to come.”
The Government of Canada will invest $600,000 toward conducting two detailed studies of the physical and chemical properties of the Thetford Mines mining sites in an effort to identify potential innovative waste management opportunities. In addition, the studies will help define opportunities to grow vegetation on the waste piles, as well as in the identification of mineral and metals of economic interest (e.g. magnesium, nickel) and their potential extraction in a sustainable manner.
The results will help determine if post-mining activities can be conducted on the site to minimize waste and transform it into environmentally friendly resources for other uses.
In support of theses studies, Natural Resources Canada has entered into a collaborative agreement with the Centre de Technologie Minérale et de Plasturgie to more effectively manage tailings as a result of mining activities in Thetford Mines.
These projects are the first to be announced in Quebec under the federal government’s $8-million Green Mining Initiative, which aims to improve the mining sector’s environmental performance and create green technology opportunities. For more information on the Green Mining Initiative, please see the attached backgrounder.
FOR BROADCAST USE:
Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis today announced the launch of feasibility projects to minimize the environmental impact of mining. The $600,000 investment will support detailed studies of the Thetford Mines mining sites in Quebec to identify waste management opportunities. The projects are part of the federal government’s $8-million Green Mining Initiative to create green technology opportunities for the mining sector.
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Richard Walker
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Natural Resources Canada
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