Mines and Quarries - Sierra Club Canada

Mines and quarries can impact the environment in a variety of ways such as water contamination, diverting water systems, air emissions, and destroying habitat for wildlife.

The way to reduce these impacts is through careful consultation, land-use planning, and – when serious impacts can’t be avoided – saying “no” to certain mines and quarries.

Since our success in stopping the Digby Quarry in 2007, we have worked hard to change the landscape for how mines and quarries are approved and managed in Nova Scotia. Our major objectives in this program area are to encourage:

Mineral Stewardship
Commitment to land use planning
Respect for communities
Establishing a legislated ban on uranium mining

Successes so far have included a province-wide ban on uranium mining and exploration and a commitment to community consulation processes for mining projects on behalf of the NS Department of Natural Resources, Minerals Branch.

However, problems with mines and quarries persist. Of particular concern is that quarries in Nova Scotia can elude environmental assessment because they are smaller than 4 hectares. Closing this loophole was one of the major recommendations of the joint review panel of the Digby Quarry in 2007 – a recommendation that remains unaddressed in spite of numerous communities impacted by quarries in recent years.

Currnently, we are working to address impacts of mines and quarries on the environment and healthy communities through:

working with community groups to record their experiences and make recommendations to fix issues (See our report: On Solid Ground, below);
initiating a multi-stakeholder workshop to bring together community leaders, industry representatives, and government to come up with solutions (see our workshop report, Exploring Common Ground, below);
responding to environmental concerns about individual quarries and mines (such as the Donkin Coal Mine, Fogarty’s Cove – AKA Black Point – Quarry, Moose River Gold Mine, and many smaller quarries that do not undergo environmental assessment but are cause for concern);
providing input on the development of Nova Scotia’s Natural Resources Strategy, 2010-2020 and the actions laid out in the strategy, particularly amending the NS Mineral Resources Act and improving community consultation; and
assisting and coordinating community groups in their response the mine and quarries.

If you want to know more about our work on mines and quarries, or if you are impacted by a mine or quarry and need information on how to respond, please contact us at 902-444-7096 or atlanticcanadachapter@sierraclub.ca