ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS BY THE MINING-INDUSTRY IN THE SUDBURY BASIN OF CANADA

Responsible mining companies have done much to redress the environmental damage of earlier technologies and continue to do more. In the Sudbury Basin, one of the most important mining areas in the world, both Inco Limited and Falconbridge Limited, two of the largest nickel producers, have significantly decreased sulphur dioxide emissions in the last 40 years from substantially 100% to about 10% or less of the sulphur in the ore; decreased water effluents by recycling; treated effluents to comply with government regulations; revegetated mine rock and surface tailings deposits and rehabilitated landscapes in the surrounding communities. Inco and Falconbridge continue to develop improved means for environmentally sound handling of all wastes including recycling and to reclaim land at abandoned mine sites. They have developed and implemented environmental policies and codes of practice, not only to comply with regulations, but to anticipate them. The mining industry recognizes the need for regulation to protect human health and the environment. Existing regulations are based on a hazard assessment approach. A more realistic, pragmatic and cost-effective basis for regulation is risk management. This relates any documented effects to measured exposures and recognizes the need for exposure levels low enough that incidence of adverse health effects is as low as in the surrounding ecosystem.