MiningWatch Canada is hosting a public event in Ottawa on April 14, 2016. Three recognised experts will discuss the often-conflictive relationship between international "free trade" and investment agreements, mean for Indigenous rights, the environment, and democratic governance.

Presenters Art Manuel, Meinhard Doelle, and Angella MacEwen will be available for interviews before the event. Please contact Jamie Kneen to make arrangements: jamie(at)miningwatch.ca or cell (613) 761-2273.

Two Canadian fertilizer companies, Agrium and PotashCorp, were behind 64.5% of all conflict mineral purchases from occupied Western Sahara during the year of 2015.

This can be read in a report published today by Western Sahara Resource Watch. The report traces all the shipments of phosphates rock from occupied Western Sahara last year to ports overseas, and reveals the role of importers internationally in the controversial trade. The rock is used for fertilizer production in Canada.

MiningWatch Canada joins with local, provincial, and national groups in urging the public to voice their concerns to both provincial and federal governments about the proposed AJAX open pit mine located on the edge of the city of Kamloops, British-Columbia.

(Quebec) Before even considering authorizing the massive expansion of the Canadian Malartic open pit gold mine, the Coalition Quebec Meilleure Mine urges Quebec to review current environmental laws for open pit mines located in close proximity to inhabited areas or sensitive areas. The Canadian Malartic mine is currently the largest open pit mine within city limits in Canada and counts over 171 environmental infractions and 2000 measured non-compliances since its permitting in 2009.

Read more here :

Today, Tuesday March 29, the Azacualpa Environmental Committee in Copán, Honduras issued the following alert regarding the continuing criminalization of dissent in their communities and the ongoing threat they face from the expansion of Aura Minerals’ San Andrés mine into their 200-year old cemetery.

The Nahua Indigenous community of Zacualpan in the state of Colima, Mexico set out to learn about the implications of potential mining activities in 2013.

This report documents the current activities of the El Dorado Foundation in El Salvador and the dangers they pose. The Foundation was originally established by Pacific Rim Mining in 2005, and is now operated by its successor company, OceanaGold. Its sole purpose appears to be to help the company obtain a permit for a disputed gold mining project in the department of Cabañas in northeastern El Salvador.

(Ottawa/Washington/Melbourne)  A new study finds that OceanaGold’s attempt to rebrand its proposed gold mine in El Salvador through the use of a company-sponsored foundation at the local level is deceitful, disrespectful and dangerous.

By: David Chambers, Ph.D., P. Geop. This report assesses the tailings dam designs at four mines in B.C. in light of the recommendations of the Mount Polley Expert Panel to examine whether regulatory agencies are applying best available technology to reduce the risk of catastrophic tailings dam failures, and where they aren’t, if changes could be made to do so.

International coalition calls on B.C. to include Mount Polley investigation recommendations in mining code