Mining in Remote Areas Issues and Impacts - MiningWatch Canada

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Health andSafetyYears of working dangerously:at least 3359have died in Canada’smines since Westray (HalifaxChronicle Herald, 05/05/97, A1, A4)This article provides a list of miningrelateddeaths, and their causes, for theyears 1992 to 1996.Mining still this country’s60 most dangerous job(Halifax Chronicle Herald,05/05/97, A2)Statistics Canada rates mining andquarrying as the most dangerous occupations.Between 1988 and 1993, 5% ofall workers killed on the job or by workrelatedillnesses (268 deaths) in Canadawere miners/quarry workers. Rates ofworkplace injury and death are increasingin the mining industry, while theyare decreasing in other occupations.Curragh Inc. fined $20,61 000 for safety offences(Globe & Mail, 12/05/92,B12)Curragh Inc. was fined $20,000 fortwo safety offences at its lead-zinc minein Faro, Yukon. They were fined$15,000 for failing to ensure a front-endloader was equipped with parking brake,and $5,000 for failing to ensure thatoxygen was available in its first-aid vehicle.Explosives stored in62 wrong places, inspectorsfind (Vancouver Sun,10/16/92, B11)Safety inspectors who went throughthe Giant gold mine in Yellowknife(where an explosion had recently killednine men) found explosives where theyshouldn’t have been. Blasting caps, stickpowder and bags of explosives werefound in more than 20 improper locationsat the mine owned by Royal OakMines.Placer Dome fined $325,63 000 (Victoria Times Colonist,05/05/99, C11)Placer Dome was fined $325,000 afterpleading guilty to a health and safetyviolation in the death of a Northern Ontariominer.A Labour Ministry investigation foundthat Placer Dome failed to establish proceduresto govern the movement of ascoop tram, contrary to mining regulationsunder the Occupational Health andSafety Act.senic, nickel, sulphuric acid mist inthe milling process, and asbestos.There are also suspected carcinogenssuch as oil mist and diesel fumesfrom mining equipment.(54)In addition to cancer, there areother potential healthproblems thatcan result fromworking in amine. In 1995,as many as70 employeesat anopen pit coalmine in BritishColumbiawerestruck witha variety ofailments includingblisteredeyes,peeling facialskin, and longer-term respiratoryand urinary tract problems.(55)Mental HealthIn addition to physical ailmentsrelated to mining, there are also issuesof mental health. A report writtenin 1988 documents the impact offly-in mining (i.e., where workers areflown into remote areas to work andlive for specified lengths of time) on aminer’s physical and mental health.(49) The author concluded that theseparation from family and friendsand the inability to get away fromthe work site combine to createstress that can be hazardous to aminer’s mental and physical health.Beyond the Mine Gate:Community Health ImpactsMining operations can potentiallyimpact the health of nearby communitymembers in a number of ways.Noise pollution can be disruptive,chemical spills can taint water andfood supplies (29), and air emissionscan pollute water, soil and vegetation.UraniumSmelter emissions can be a major source ofcontaminationUranium hasbeen coined“death rock” bythe Dene, and theland around uraniummines hasbeen termed the“sacrifice area,”which expressesthe idea that theimpacted zoneremains unsuitablefor humanhabitation forthousands ofyears. The coststo Native communitiesliving inthe vicinity of uranium mines havebeen high: the animals they dependon for survival have been adverselyaffected, as has their drinking water,and residents have reported new andunusual health problems.(56)The federal government has recentlyannounced it will study theeffects that years of uranium mininghas had on the village of Deline inthe Northwest Territories. The Eldoradomine operated in the 1930s and1940s during which time “Dene menwere recruited to transport the ore,carrying 45-kg sacks of it on theirbacks. They slept and sat on thosesacks during the long barge tripsacross the lake and down the Bearand Mackenzie rivers. They spentmuch of their time covered with fineuranium ore dust.” (57) There havebeen many deaths from cancer in thecommunity, which is known locallyas the “village of widows.” (57)SmeltersRisks to health increase whensmelters are part of the mining development.Residents of Anaconda20 MiningWatch Canada
Montana, where arsenic is emittedfrom a copper smelter, have a higherincidence of death from lung cancerthan the general US population.(45)Safety: Mining Still aDangerous OccupationTwo recent headlines from theHalifax Chronicle Herald capturethe reality of the risks involved inthe mining industry:“Years of working da n-gerously: at least 33 havedied in Canada’s minessince Westray”(59)“Mining still this country’smost dangerousjob”(60)Mining is a dangerous occupation.Accidents anddeaths occur for a varietyof reasons includingflaws in mine design,smaller workforces andmore overtime work, andlack of adherence tosafety regulations. (61-65) Some members of themining industry blamethe increase in accidentsand fatalities on“improper motivation” onthe part of the employees.(66)The facts suggestthat this is not the case.Between 1992 and 1997,explosions, cave-ins,heavy machinery andnoxious gases claimedthe lives of 50 miners in Canada, 27of them coal miners and the resthardrock miners.(60)Deaths underground have rippleeffects throughout a small community.This is particularly true whenmany miners die in a single calamity,as at Westray.(59)Many mines are being proposedfor remote northern regions of Canada,where permafrost conditionsprevail. Building on permafrost requiresadvanced engineering skillsand knowledge, and if mine infr a-structure is improperly designed orconstructed accidents can occur. Anincident in the Yukon highlights thepotential impacts that can be expectedfrom permafrost melt. An explosionthat injured 11 workers wasattributed to ground movementcaused by changing temperaturesthat ruptured propane pipes.(67)Underground mines have particular health and safetychallengesThere are particular problems atremote mine sites where employeesare flown in and live at the mine forspecified periods of time. As onestudy points out, fly-in workers oftensuffer stress and tension as a resultof separation from family and community.Coupled with overtimehours on the job, this stress may contributeto an increase in workplaceaccidents. (49)There is a need to address theseissues because of the likelihood ofmore “urban miners,” as southernore bodies are depleted and companiesdevelop more mines in remoteareas. Also, there are many minesHealth andSafetyKinross Gold fined64 $500,000 following twofatal accidents(Occupational Health & Safety, v.16(4), June/2000, p.13,14)Two fatal incidents within six monthsat Hoyle Pond mine near Timmins haveresulted in fines totaling $500,000against the company.Kinross Gold Corporation pleadedguilty to two counts under the OccupationalHealth and Safety Act. The companyfailed to take the reasonable precautionof ensuring that standardizedsignals were used between a workerand a train operator; and failed to establishsafety procedures for employeesworking near a hole that was blockedwith planks and loose rock.Flin Flon: death in a65company town (OurTimes, v. 17(1), Jan/Feb1998, pg 31-33+)While industrial accidents are by nomeans uncommon in Canada, HudsonBay Mining and Smelting Company inFlin Flon, Manitoba, has more than average.From 1991 to 1996, there were 14fatalities in Manitoba’s mining industry –10 of which happened at HBM&S. Thiscompared with three at Inco’s operation,which employs a similar number ofpeople in Manitoba. In fact, over thepast 70 years, 98 HBM&S workers havedied violently on the job: about oneevery nine months.Improper motivation66 main cause of accidents(Northern Miner, v. 79(14),06/07/93, p. 14)During the 1980s, Ontario averaged11 mining-related deaths per year, mostof which occurred underground. In1993, 2,800 accidents were reported tothe Ontario Workers’ CompensationBoard. The industry cited “improperlymotivated” employees as the basiccause for most accidents.At Falconbridge’s Kidd Creek mine inTimmins, the safety record is particularlygood. According to the mine manager,their safety record is, in part, theresult of suggestions from employees.This stellar record may be at risk, however,with the elimination of 250 jobs,which raises concerns about workersafety.Mining In Remote Areas: Issues and Impacts 21
Page 1 and 2: MiningWatch CanadaMining in Remote
Page 3 and 4: Environmental ImpactsMining is a hi
Page 6 and 7: EnvironmentalImpactsdeep-sea port a
Page 8 and 9: EnvironmentalImpactsDumping charges
Page 10 and 11: EnvironmentalImpactsMine’s seepag
Page 12 and 13: EnvironmentalImpactsConclusionsMine
Page 14 and 15: CommunityImpactsCompany pledges job
Page 16 and 17: CommunityImpacts*of economic develo
Page 18 and 19: CommunityImpactsM. Wall. Women and
Page 20 and 21: Health andSafetyArticles with under
Page 24 and 25: Health andSafetyShifting ground bla
Page 26 and 27: EnvironmentalAssessmentbulldoze and
Page 28 and 29: EnvironmentalAssessmentin recent ye
Page 30 and 31: study (Tabled in the House May 25,1
Page 32 and 33: Appendix 1:Contact OrganizationsHer
Page 34 and 35: Appendix 2:MiningWatch CanadaSelect
Page 36: Photo by Lisa SumiAcidic drainage,

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