With all the headlines shining light upon the tailings pond breach at Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley mine in British Columbia, the positive aspects of mining has taken an obvious back seat. The devastation has been quite overwhelming. take a look at this photo showing the environmental impact the breach has left on Polley and Quensel Lake.
Photo Courtesy of Effigis Geo Solutions.
Many environmentalists argue that mining accidents such as this should be more than enough of a reason to eliminate ALL mining in the area, but as I mentioned before, there are a ton of positive gains to be made. Below is an infographic created by the Mining Association of British Columbia that illustrates the ways in which mining actually powers a lot of the British Columbia area: