Latest news with #GiantMine
CBC
28-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
New study examines archived letters that show how early feds, mine officials knew of Giant's arsenic problem
One of the chiefs of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation says decades-old communications that show federal and mining officials knew about arsenic pollution from Giant Mine early on reaffirm what elders in his community have been saying. "I'm extremely happy and proud that my members [have] remembered the stories and … the sad history of Giant Mine, with losing some of our children, losing some of our dogs, and the devastation that came with it," said Ernest Betsina, chief of Dettah. A paper published earlier this month in the journal Facets looks at 547 letters and water samples from around Yellowknife between 1949 and 1956 in the early days of gold mining at both Con and Giant mines. Ernest Betsina, chief of Dettah, pictured here in 2020. Betsina says a study examining early correspondence about arsenic contamination reaffirms what elders have been saying all along. (Alex Brockman/CBC) Mike Palmer, an aquatic scientist and manager of the North Slave Research Centre, said he was made aware of the documents by the Giant Mine Oversight Board, which had retrieved them through Library and Archives Canada. "We were really, really impressed with the concerted effort that public health officials put into documenting the distribution of arsenic in and around the environment at that time," he said. Not only was he impressed by the quality of the more-than-75-year-old data, but Palmer said he was also surprised how early mining and federal officials were aware that arsenic was polluting the environment. "The narrative I had heard was that, you know, people were doing the best they could at the time and if they knew there was a problem they would have stopped it," said Palmer. "And that clearly wasn't the case." 'It certainly is disturbing' Giant Mine operated in Yellowknife from 1948 to 2004, and released poisonous dust into the air and water surrounding the mine. In that time, it produced about 198 tonnes of gold and more than 237,000 tonnes of highly toxic arsenic trioxide dust, which is contained underground. Remediation of the site, one of the most contaminated in Canada, began in 2021. A two-year-old boy from N'dilo died of arsenic poisoning in 1951. Letters examined in Palmer's study indicate, however, that the first documented case of arsenic poisoning happened in February 1949. "Roasting commenced on 29th January, 1949, and by mid February the first human case of poisoning reached hospital," reads a letter from Dr. Kingsley Kay, the head of the Industrial Health Laboratory for the Department of National Health and Welfare in a letter to another federal health official on Dec. 6, 1949. Mike Palmer is an aquatic scientist and manager of the North Slave Research Centre. (Liny Lamberink/CBC) It goes on to say two men who had been drinking snow water at a camp near Giant were hospitalized and their urine samples led to a diagnosis of arsenic poisoning. The letter also notes six cows that "unquestionably died from arsenic poisoning" and that "fatal poisoning of wildlife was observed widely" as well. Kay recommended in the same letter that ore roasting stop until environmental mitigation technologies were added to Giant. The report says that the Department of National Health and Welfare also called for ore roasting to stop. But it says the Northwest Territories Council, which is what governed the territory before the Legislative Assembly was formed, did not approve that recommendation. The report says Con Mine installed an environmental control in the summer of 1949 and was able to bring its arsenic emissions down by 95 per cent. Giant Mine installed a type of control in 1951 to reduce emissions as well, but production also ramped up which meant that overall emissions didn't go down. It wasn't until a second control was installed in 1955 and a baghouse for arsenic collection was installed in 1959 that emissions were reduced. "Despite acknowledgement of the public health risks associated with arsenic-bearing emissions in the region, Giant Mine continued to emit more than 2,000 tonnes [of] arsenic trioxide per year to the surrounding landscape," Palmer's study reads. "It certainly is disturbing," said Betsina. The Yellowknives Dene First Nation has long been pushing the federal government for an apology and compensation for the harm Giant mine inflicted. Palmer hopes the report — and the documents it sheds light on — can be used as evidence in that process. "It reassures that we must continue the fight for an apology and compensation because we owe that to my people," said Betsina. "We cannot let this file go on the wayside and [let the] federal government put it on the shelf."
CBC
27-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Researcher surprised how early feds, mine officials, knew of Giant's arsenic problem
A Yellowknife researcher says decades-old communications show the government, health authorities and mining officials knew Giant Mine was polluting water and putting people's health at risk shortly after it started operating. A chief with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation says it reaffirms what elders in the communities of Dettah and Ndilǫ said happened back in the late 40s and early 50s.
National Observer
22-05-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Skimping on environmental protections endangers us all
In the rush to grow Canada's economy by exploiting more of our natural resources, moves are afoot to pare back environmental impact assessments that slow or sometimes even block resource and industrial development. During the election campaign, the now-ruling Liberals promised to cut the decision time on projects from five years to a maximum of two. Similarly, BC is about to pass a new Infrastructure Projects Act designed to expedite approvals and reduce environmental assessment times. Ontario also wants to speed development with a bill that would water down environmental impact assessments and downgrade species at risk laws, although you wouldn't know it from the name — Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act. There may be good reasons to streamline assessment processes to allow for speedier economic development, especially for projects the federal government deems to be in the national interest. Tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump have put Canada's economy in a precarious position and Prime Minister Mark Carney believes now is the time for at least one ambitious federal infrastructure project — whether it be a national electricity grid or new pipeline — to decrease our reliance on the US. Provincial governments are also pushing for more mines, coal and fossil fuel development which they hope can be sold to a broader world market and replace economic losses of the tariffs. But changes to our existing safeguards must be made carefully and should still include some measure of oversight from provincial and federal levels of government. The interests of provincial governments, under pressure to boost jobs and juice the local economy, can be too parochial. And some, like the United Conservative Party under Danielle Smith, have been so co-opted by industry, they simply can't be trusted with protection of our shared air, land and water. Before our governments take a hacksaw to our impact assessment acts, it's worth remembering the devastation industrial development and resource extraction projects can wreak on our environment with or without safeguards. Take for example, mercury from the Dryden pulp mill that poisoned the Wabigoon River, leaving Indigenous people living downstream devastating health problems. The pollution began more than 100 years ago, but the health impacts persist to this day. Yellowknife's Giant Mine belched arsenic into the air for just a few years in the mid-1900s before new equipment slowed the rate of pollution — and yet the cost of cleaning up the deadly toxicity already outweighs the total value of all the gold that was ever mined there. More recently in 2014, the Mount Polley tailings pond dam collapsed, dumping hundreds of tonnes of toxic waste into BC streams and lakes near Likely, BC, about 170 kilometres south of Prince George. In 2023, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation discovered Imperial Oil had failed to alert the community to a massive spill from an Alberta oilsands tailing pond into a nearby watershed. And the following year, dangerously high benzene emissions from a Sarnia-area chemical company forced the evacuation of Aamjiwnaang First Nation residents. Before our governments take a hacksaw to our impact assessment acts, consider the devastation industrial development and resource extraction projects can wreak on our environment with or without safeguards. Would more restrictive impact assessments have prevented these specific industrial transgressions? Possibly not. But without impact assessments which expose potential pitfalls and seek to protect the environment and Indigenous rights, it would be tempting for profit-driven industries to cut corners and up the risk. It would also obscure the tradeoffs we make in the name of development. Major industries tend to locate away from cities on Indigenous lands and when industrial safeguards fail, First Nations typically bear the brunt of the pollution. So, it's not surprising Indigenous leaders are questioning the moves to water down impact assessments. In BC, Stewart Phillip, grand chief and president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, chided the provincial government for failing to adequately consult First Nations on the pending infrastructure act. He warned if the BC government pushes aside Indigenous interests in its rush for economic growth, it can expect legal challenges. The Chiefs of Ontario are similarly signalling trouble if the Ontario government fails to consult First Nations on its bill to ram through development in 'special economic zones,' such as the Ring of Fire mining area in Northern Ontario. 'You can't 'unleash' our rights or our sacred responsibilities to our lands and waters with the wave of a pen,' said Regional Chief Abram Benedict in an April 22 statement. Environmental groups are also sounding the alarm over recent remarks by Carney, suggesting he is open to a redo of the federal Impact Assessment Act. Federal jurisdiction over environmental protection was already somewhat curtailed by a 2023 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that found federal impact assessments were unlawfully trampling on provincial jurisdiction. As a result, the feds withdrew a number of planned assessments, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford's controversial plans to build Highway 413. As Carney and the premiers consider making changes, they must keep environmental protection front and centre and not listen exclusively to industry complaints, which might be overblown. At least one study on mining projects in BC found that changing economic conditions, not impact assessments, were by far the greatest cause for project delays. If governments fail to fully consider the environmental concerns of First Nations, environmentalists and scientists, they can expect a slew of fresh lawsuits, protests and blockades. Canadians care deeply about the environment and if the government steps out they'll be prepared to step in to take its place.
CBC
06-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Federal gov't appoints B.C. lawyer to assess impacts of Giant Mine on Indigenous communities
The federal government has appointed a ministerial special representative to assess the impacts of Giant Mine near Yellowknife, specifically as it relates to the impact on Indigenous communities and historical treaty rights. In a news release, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Gary Anandasangaree named Murray Rankin — a lawyer, former British Columbia MP and MLA, who also served as minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation for the province. The statement said Rankin will work independently and report directly to the minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. "His experience and knowledge will support future recommendations to address the harms that resulted from the Giant Mine operations," the release said. Giant Mine operated in Yellowknife from 1948 to 2004, and released poisonous dust into the air and water surrounding the mine. In that time, it produced about 198 tonnes of gold and more than 237,000 tonnes of highly toxic arsenic trioxide dust, which is contained underground. Remediation of the site, one of the most contaminated in Canada, began in 2021. The Yellowknives Dene First Nation has long pushed the federal government for compensation and an apology for the long-term cultural, social and environmental impacts of Giant Mine, as well as economic benefits from the more than $4-billion remediation project. The First Nation says Giant Mine resulted in the destruction of its traditional lands and harvesting areas, and violated its treaty rights. The Yellowknives Dene signed three agreements with the government of Canada in 2021, which outlined how they would move forward to collaborate on compensation, remediation and an apology, and included a community benefits agreement that promised up to $20 million over 10 years to support the First Nation's participation in the remediation. In 2023, they signed a procurement agreement to increase opportunities for Indigenous people through the remediation project, including prioritizing contracts with Indigenous-owned businesses, and tougher penalties for companies that fail to meet Indigenous hiring commitments. Final report due in 2026 A final report from the ministerial special representative is expected in 2026, which will provide "recommendations and insights to support a resolution and advance the path toward reconciliation and healing." "Addressing historical injustices and working in partnership with Indigenous communities is key to advancing reconciliation in Canada," the release said. "Throughout my career, I have worked alongside Indigenous communities to uphold rights, advance reconciliation, and seek meaningful solutions to complex challenges. I look forward to engaging with partners to better understand the mine's impacts on Treaty rights and to work together to identify a just and equitable path forward."
