Water quality is a significant concern

With the lake dumping option now off the table, we can suppose that, with an effective buffer zone around the lake, Bamoos Lake's native stocks of lake trout and brook trout may survive for another 10,000 years, and beyond.

Our experience with Marathon PGM has brought with it valuable lessons in advocacy, environmental science, Canadian law and the best (and worst) practices of the Canadian mining industry. Moreover, we saw how corporate decision making, weighted heavily in the interests of shareholders - in this case the inexpensive dumping of mine waste into Bamoos - can potentially lead to practices that are in sharp conflict with the interests of the local citizens who depend on a healthy environment.

Members of our group will continue to support a rigourous environmental assessment of the operational and closure plans of the mine. We look forward to seeing Marathon PGM's revised proposals for managing millions of tonnes of potentially toxic mine waste.

Angler Creek.

Because the mine site is so close to Lake Superior, discharge from the tailings areas will have a short run - approximately 6 km - over rocky, high-gradient streams (Angler, Hare, etc) with virtually no mixing before entering the big lake. These streams have no capacity to chemically buffer acid run-off. Indeed the stream bed itself could become a source of metal contamination should the pH of the stream flow drop significantly.

The lower reaches of these particular streams are important nursery areas for steelhead, coaster brook trout and other migratory salmonids. Young fish depend on a diversity of aquatic invertebrates - mayflies, midges, caddisflies, etc - species that are acutely sensitive to impaired water quality. In this way, the health of the wider Lake Superior ecosystem is critically connected to water quality in its tributary streams and rivers.

Dragonfly (Cordulegaster maculata) nymphs sampled from Hare Creek
We will work to ensure that, within the environmental assessment process, the value of these streams is appropriately recognized and that Marathon PGM takes appropriate measures to mitigate against harmful effects during and beyond the 11 year life of the mine.

Young brook trout

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Resources:

Learn more about Canadian Metal Mining Effluent Regulations.

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