Towards Greener Footprints

Mining Industry - Dedicated to Environmental Improvement

The Ontario Mining Association is proud to present its latest environmental progress report, "Towards Greener Footprints" (PDF Format - 2.6 MB).

Environmental performance in Ontario's mining industry has shown continuous improvement over the last decade, reflecting enhanced understanding of our interaction with the environment, improvements in available technology and the development and adoption of state of the art environmental management systems. "Towards Greener Footprints" represents the steps taken, and being taken, on the journey towards environmental improvement.

This report is intended to educate and inform stakeholders of the importance that the Ontario mining industry places on environmental protection and to communicate some of the environmental achievements and best practices that have been realised over the past year. It consolidates available information that individual Ontario Mining Association member mines reported to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment under the Municipal/Industrial Strategy for Abatement (MISA) regulation and the ONAir program. It also provides examples of proactive and effective environmental management and pollution prevention practices at mining and processing operations in Ontario.

The mission of the Environment Committee of the Ontario Mining Association is: "To continually promote sound, competitive, sustainable practices and technologies in assisting our member companies in improving their environmental performance." This, and subsequent, reports will measure the success of this mission.

The Ontario Mining Association was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province. The 55 member companies are engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and providing services to the mining industry. Most of the metal mines operate in Northern Ontario and produce gold, nickel, copper and a variety of other metals. Most of the non-metal mines (industrial minerals) operate in Southern Ontario and produce salt, nepheline syenite, calcite, gypsum, talc, silica, and other industrial minerals.

On behalf of the Ontario Mining Association, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the committee members and site personnel responsible for providing and ensuring the accuracy of the data presented in this report.

Adele Faubert
Chair, Environment Committee
Ontario Mining Association
March 2004