For several weeks, the situation of the Horne smelter in Rouyn-Noranda has brought back certain myths concerning the mining industry, by mixing genres (Far West, multinationals, mining boom, eskers in danger, etc.), simultaneously obscuring the reality of the sector. Clarifications are needed.
Posted at 10:00 a.m.
I have worked for more than 30 years in the Quebec mining sector (exploration and exploitation). I was able to observe the evolution in the operation of the companies, among other things concerning the health and safety of the workers, the taking into account of the residents near the projects, the improvement of environmental practices, the contribution of women and indigenous communities in corporate activities.
To whether mining companies and governments should do more to protect the environment and people’s health, mining industry workers would almost unanimously answer yes. They are no different from other residents of Quebec. They live and live near the projects and are equally concerned about the water they drink, the air they breathe, the hiking trails they follow and the fish they catch.
Can the environmental and social impact of mining companies be reduced? The answer is yes, it is a necessity to minimize impacts.
For several years, thanks to innovation, companies have been pursuing their research and constantly improving their practices.
For a good decade, we have heard of a mining Wild West and of cowboys to image the activities of the mining sector. I imagine the references are to the fact that there were few laws in the 19e century in the western United States. Today’s reality is that the mining sector in Quebec is highly regulated and well monitored. On the website of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, you can find the normative framework applying to the mining sector (1).
Although the document dates from 2017, it represents the legal framework for companies. It should be noted that it lacks updates since the modernization of the Environment Quality Act and some Act respecting the conservation of wetlands and bodies of water.
Slow growth
As for the mining boom, it does not exist. For the past fifteen years, the number of mines in operation has varied between 20 and 25 in Quebec. On average, we witness the start-up of 0.7 mines per year in Quebec. Also, the government recently launched the Strategy for the development of critical and strategic minerals and the Quebec strategy for the development of the battery sector aimed at exploiting and transforming the minerals of the Quebec territory.
The objective is to manufacture battery components, such as anodes and cathodes. This approach would make it possible to position Quebec as a leader in the energy transition and the electrification of transportation.
However, even with the strategies mentioned above and the price of metals, the number of mines will not increase significantly.
The workers in the mining sector, with whom I have worked for many years, are also in favor of prioritizing the reuse of minerals and the recycling of metals, the energy transition, the electrification of transport, the protection of the environment, the respect for the communities near the projects and the complete restoration after the end of the exploration and exploitation activities.
In conclusion, today’s mineral sector in Quebec contributes to the development of the resource regions and of Quebec as a whole in compliance with laws and regulations. It is engaged in a process of continuous improvement of practices. The leaders and managers are very largely from Quebec. They live in the regions and in the urban centers of Quebec, are concerned about the environment, the well-being of their neighbor and the future of their community. Like the majority of Quebecers.