Community and environmental groups have prepared an important report on the impacts of mining exploration activities by Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) in Matawinie. Following an independent community environmental monitoring campaign, the report identifies numerous cases of heavy metal concentrations in watercourses that exceed environmental protection criteria, likely attributable to exploration activities. The report also highlights concerning methodological errors in the environmental assessments conducted by NGM. The organizations are calling on the provincial government to radically overhaul the regulatory framework for mining exploration in Quebec.
There is virtually no documentation of the observed impacts of mining exploration on Quebec's ecosystems. This report is therefore unique in that it contributes to the literature on an understudied subject whose multiple impacts are widely underestimated.
Read the full report here.