Bill C-300, An Act respecting Corporate Accountability for Mining, Oil and Gas Corporations in Developing Countries, also known as the Responsible Mining Bill, has concluded hearings before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. The Bill goes back to the House of...
Open Letter Regarding the Socio-economic Costs and Benefits of the Proposed Prosperity Mine
Open Letter to the Honourable James Prentice, Minister of the Environment, and the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada: I write urging you to accept the findings of the Federal Panel Review on the Prosperity Mine in British Columbia, and refuse to issue any federal permits for...
Urgent Action: Shooting of Community Leader Opposing Goldcorp Inc.'s Marlin Mine in Guatemala; Threats Against Local Leaders Escalate
On Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 at 7:30 PM in the small community San José Nueva Esperanza in the village of Maquivil, municipality of San Miguel Ixtahuacán, Ms. Diodora Antonia Hernández Cinto was shot. Two unknown young men showed up at her house asking for a place to stay. When they were refused...
TAKE ACTION: Tell the Federal Government to turn down Taseko
Canadians want just and sustainable development not fake lakes and abuse of Aboriginal rights!
The federal review panel on the proposed Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine has released its final report. It has concluded that the project, if approved, would have significant and lasting negative...
Marathon PGM to find alternatives to destroying Bamoos Lake
MiningWatch has been informed in an email from the company, and confirmed by the staff for local MP Bruce Hyer, that Marathon PGM is no longer considering the destruction of Bamoos Lake as one of two tailings management options.
Urgent Action: Support legislation to impose standards on Canadian government support for mining companies operating internationally
(Update) Bill C-300 - a "responsible mining bill" - goes to a vote in the House of Commons in September or October. See a video on what it's about and who's supporting it - and send a sample letter of support to join in promoting it. Your letters of support can enhance its chances of becoming law...
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Marathon PGM threatens Bamoos Lake
A federal environmental assessment of Marathon PGM's proposed mine in northern Ontario started on April 16, 2010. One of two proposed tailings management options would have 61-million m3 of mine waste dumped into Bamoos Lake. Bamoos Lake is a deep, cold water lake with a naturally sustaining lake...
Testimony on Bill C-300 at Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, June 8, 2010
University of Toronto law professor Audrey Macklin and Tom Shrake, CEO of Pacific Rim Mining, testify on Private Member's Bill C-300 before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Meeting no. 22, June 8, 2010. (Actually Mr. Shrake's comments are more general as he admits he isn...
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Andalgalá community wants Canadian company Yamana Gold to cease operations
Residents in the community of Adalgalá (in the department of Adalgalá, province of Catamarca) in northwest Argentina are calling for an end to mining in their region. They are concerned about contamination caused by the (largely Swiss-owned) company Xtrata at its Bajo La Alumbrera mine which has...
Make the Canadian Mining Industry More Accountable
[This article appeared as an opinion piece in the Toronto Star, March 22, 2010]
The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s (PDAC) annual convention is one of the largest gatherings of mining interests in the world.
Much to the disappointment of those who are concerned about the impact...
Editorial Note: Apologies for the Hiatus
You may have noticed that it’s been over a year since our last “quarterly” newsletter. I suppose it’s a sign of becoming a victim of our own success. Between some very high-profile campaigns such as bringing the Red Chris mine environmental assessment case all the way to the Supreme Court or the...
Ontario’s New Mining Act Leaves Gaping Holes
Extensive revisions to Ontario’s Mining Act were approved by Queen’s Park on October 21, 2009, and received royal assent a week later. The new Act follows commitments made by Premier McGuinty to “modernize” the Act and strike a balance between the diverse interests that are affected by and...
Bill C-300 – Private Member's Bill Promotes Industry and Government Accountability
On February 9, 2009, Liberal Member of Parliament John McKay tabled a private member’s bill in the House of Commons. Bill C-300, titled An Act respecting Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas in Developing Countries, would codify a number of key recommendations on...
The Government’s New “CSR Counsellor” for the Extractive Sector
In March 2009 the Canadian government finally released its response to the March 2007 Advisory Group Report of the CSR Roundtables.
The government’s response, heavily influenced by two years of lobbying by individual mining companies, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and the...
The Cordillera del Condor – Ecuador and Peru Turn On Their Own Peoples
While companies such as Vancouver-based Dorato Resources and IAMGOLD are moving in on the Cordillera del Condor (Condor Mountain Range) along both sides of the Peru-Ecuador border, other Canadian companies, such as Kinross Gold, Corriente Resources, and Dynasty Metals & Mining, are re-establishing...
Focus on Mining Giant Vale at World Social Forum
At the invitation of Brazilian activists who are supporting communities struggling against multinational mining giant Vale (formerly Companhia Vale do Rio Doce) in Brazil, and with support from the Steelworkers Humanity Fund and the Canadian Auto Workers Social Justice Fund, MiningWatch’s Catherine...