Saskatchewan checks old mines

The Saskatchewan government has issued an interim report on the health and environmental risks of abandoned mines in the province’s northern region.

The Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management (SERM) compiled the report, which identifies 67 sites that will require further examination. Late last year, 26 old mines and two waste disposal areas were examined, and this fall, 20 more sites will be assessed.

“No immediate health or major environmental risks were found, but there were potential long-term impacts and public safety concerns identified with some of the mines,” says Environment Minister Buckley Belanger.

The report outlines the risks associated with many of the old mine sites and recommends ways to clean them up.

Provincial law now requires that mining companies set aside enough money to clean up sites before mining can begin, whereas, in the past, many companies simply walked away from mined-out properties. Many of those companies no longer exist, and so responsibility for the cleanup has reverted to the government.

It will be a few years before all Saskatchewan’s old sites have been fully assessed. Meanwhile, SERM will address safety hazards at specific sites by posting warning signs and initiating cleanup work.