Mining industry digs into alternative methods as climate risks rise | CBC News:
In the North, some mines risk leaking acid if the permafrost melts,
while across Canada heavier rainfall will add strain to tailings dams
and a lack of it could throw operations.
While no strangers to
extreme weather, the growing risks from climate change are forcing the
mining industry to take a hard look at their methods and how to prepare
for the worst. Many of the most prudent actions to minimize risk are,
however, also more costly, meaning that while some have taken them on,
not everyone has followed suit.
“This is a serious and emerging problem,” said Jamie Kneen, Canada program co-lead at advocacy group MiningWatch Canada.
Kneen
said his biggest area of concern is around how mining companies manage
the waste they generate and the dams they use to contain it. Companies
are increasingly digging up lower concentrations of metals, meaning
there is more waste to deal with after. And while many mines last less
than a decade, the tailings they generate are a much longer-term
problem.
“We’ve got, you know, tailings dams that are getting
bigger and bigger at the same time as the climate risk is getting
bigger,” said Kneen.
