Northern Ontario diamond mine not reporting mercury levels: environmental group
TORONTO — An environmental group is accusing a diamond mining company of failing to report mercury levels at a mine in northern Ontario, a claim the company has swiftly rejected.
Wildlands League alleges De Beers Canada has failed to report properly on mercury and methylmercury levels in five out of nine surface water monitoring stations at its diamond mine near Attawapiskat First Nation.
The group says the reporting failure has been going on at the company’s Victor Diamond Mine site since 2009 and alleges this is a violation of its certificate of approval and an offence under the Ontario Water Resources Act.
“Governments are delegating the monitoring of these industrial developments to the industry themselves,” said Wildlands League director of conservation Anna Baggio.