Quebec: Feds lay *200* charges against Mont-Wright mining complex/Fire Lake mine (ArcelorMittal Canada inc. and ArcelorMittal Mining Canada G.P.) for violating Fisheries Act, depositing (dumping?) zinc, nickel, suspended matter and effluents (toxic waste?) “with acute lethality” into Moisie River tributaries, a provincially planned (now toxic?) aquatic reserve and one of the biggest Atlantic salmon rivers in North America (now poisoned?). How many years before a deal is made and a judge orders the details gagged?
I visited the mining complex’s website. I saw little about protecting waterways, fish, other life, water, environment or details outlining how protections are determined and ensured, other than shiny deflective corporate promises, some copied below.
How many years will the companies’ lawyers drag this out until they make a deal, admit to no crimes while agreeing to pay a “donation” fine to an environmental NGO (which their PR departments might boast about for years while not paying it) or stock some other waterway with some other fish?
The outcome we need is for our stakeholders to trust us to share the vital resources of air, land and water. They will do this because we operate responsibly and transparently, demonstrate we want to reduce our negative environmental impacts, and work in collaboration with partners and local communities to enhance the natural resources we all rely on. …Enhance by poison? “Want” does not make it happen.
Sharing air, land and water responsibly – and being trusted to do so by our neighbours – is critical to our future as a business. We need our stakeholders to trust us to share these vital resources responsibly. We will gain this trust by operating responsibly and transparently, demonstrating that we want to reduce negative environmental impacts, and by working in collaboration with partners and local communitiesthe usual synergy and “gifts” like a park bench or two or a refurbished curling rink? to enhance the natural resources we all on rely on. This is key to our environmental stewardship.
Our aim is to ensure all major sites have in place an environmental improvement plan.????
Water
Steel: Steel mills cannot operate without access to large volumes of water, both for consumption and for transportation – and therefore they have always been located next to water sources such as rivers, lakes and the sea. Water is used throughout the steelmaking process for cooling operations, descaling and dust scrubbing. We draw from a range of water sources: rivers, lakes, municipal water and sea water. …
Even where water is plentiful, we generally treat and reuse it many times before we discharge it. Water treatment plays a vital role in improving the water efficiency of our operations, as well as managing the quality of our water effluent. In some cases, the water that leaves our sites can be cleaner than our water intake. The net use of water for every tonne of steel produced usually represents the amount of water lost to evaporation during the steelmaking process.
Mining: In mines, water suppresses dust, transports tailings and, most importantly, concentrates the extracted minerals. Water that’s been used at a mine needs to be treated before discharge. Some of our mines use special thickeners to avoid the use of wet tailings storage facilities – this makes them much more efficient, since more water can be recirculated, and it minimises land disturbance.
Our approach
Water availability and risks vary at our sites and each one monitors the risk of water scarcity. In recent years we have identified water scarcity risks to our operations in South Africa and Brazil. With the support of our global R&D division, we continue to look for opportunities to recycle and reuse water where it is an issue, and we also intensify our monitoring to reflect the needs and circumstances of the areas in which we operate. In Brazil, for example, where pressures on water use are increasing, we carry out extensive monitoring of our water use and discharge, and report on this in detail in the annual Brazil sustainability report. On water quality, our dedicated water treatment lab in Asturias, Spain explores how to use green technologies to minimise pollutants and increase the life of our equipment.
We use a water assessment tool developed by our global R&D and mining division across our mining operations. It’s helping us to create new water improvement plans such as the interception ditches at our Mont Wright and Fire Lake mines in Canada, which are designed to protect the surrounding lakes and rivers.which sounds like to me, given these 200 charges, are a failure.
Mining generates mineral wastes, such as displaced rock or ‘overburden’, and ‘tailings’. Tailings, the residues left when the ore is extracted, are discharged to a storage facility, where they’re usually held in place by a dam. It’s vital these are managed carefully to make sure they are structurally sound and pose no risk to local people’s health and safety, or to the environment.
Our approach
When planning to open a new steel plant or mine, we go through a rigorous preparation process. This includes a thorough assessment of the potential impacts of the new plant on local people, nearby ecosystems and habitats, as well as water and soil erosion. We then consult with local stakeholders, so that we can achieve the best possible balance between their needs and our own. Once the site is operational, we work in partnership with local stakeholders to monitor, manage and protect local biodiversity. We communicate this through our country reports.
Our existing operations aim to follow International Finance Corporation standards, which set out best practice in land management. At our mines, we monitor tailings facilities and carry out detailed inspections to make sure they’re working to our guidance.Why to their guidance? Why not state they’re working to adhere to and respect the laws in Canada and Quebec, and the life in the rivers? At our Serra Azul mine in Brazil we developed new dry stacking technology, where tailings are dried so they can be stored in a more structurally stable form. And because our responsibility extends beyond the lifeof the mine, we design comprehensive closure plans for our sites, in consultation with local stakeholders.Sounds like to me, in this case, plans included dumping toxic waste. The more dumped, the less clean up cost at the end. In Canada, mining companies (and oil and gas companies) usually walk without cleanup when the profits are raped out, or waste tailings dams breach suddenly, with our regulators and courts highly ineffective at holding corporate polluters accountable and make them appropriately clean up.
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At sites where we have endangered species and habitats, we regularly monitor and manage these areas. In Liberia, for example, we have researched methods to stop forest destruction and developed sustainable forest management projects with local communities, as part of our Biodiversity Conservation Programme launched in 2011. ArcelorMittal is a signatory to the Gaborone Declaration for Sustainability in Africa, which aims to “ensure that the contribution of natural capital to sustainable economic growth, maintenance and improvement of social capital and human well-being is quantified and integrated into development and business practice”.
The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the health, safety, and environment of CanadiansIf this were true, there would be no need for Canada Enforcement to lay 200 charges for crimes of pollution by one fucking mining complex over 8 years, that started 11 years ago! WTF?! Did the feds enable these harms by looking the other way? Has the dumping stopped? If not, when?. Environment and Climate Change Canada enforces the laws that protect the air, water, and natural environment in Canada, and it takes pollution incidents and threats to the environment very seriously.
On April 30, 2025, Environment and Climate Change Canada Enforcement laid 200 charges against ArcelorMittal Canada inc. for violation of subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act. Under subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act, it is prohibited to deposit or permit the deposit of a deleterious substance in water frequented by fish or in any place where the deleterious substance may enter any such water.
The charges stem from several investigations launched by Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers. These investigations were conducted into alleged deposits of deleterious substances into several fish-bearing waterways made by the Mont-Wright mining complex and the Fire Lake mine in the Fermont region of Quebec. The incidents reportedly occurred between May 2014!!!!! and June 2022.
All charges are currently before the Court, and they have not yet been proven. Under Canadian law, those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, Environment and Climate Change Canada will not be commenting further at this time.
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Quick facts
Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers are responsible for administering and enforcing the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act.
ArcelorMittal Canada inc. is a partner of ArcelorMittal Mining Canada G.P. for the operation of the Mont-Wright mining complex, as well as the Fire Lake mine in the Fermont region. Both mines are subject to the Fisheries Act as well as to the provisions of the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations.
A deleterious substance is any substance, including zinc, nickel, suspended solids, and acutely lethal effluents, which, if added to water, can degrade or alter water quality to the point of harming fish.
The waters where the deposits took place are tributaries of the Moisie River, which is a provincially planned aquatic reserve. It is also one of the biggest Atlantic salmon rivers in North America.
The Fisheries Act allows for two types of charges—those by summary conviction and those by indictment. The charges against the company were laid by indictment.
OTTAWA (Reuters) – The Canadian government said on Thursday it laid 200 charges against steelmaker ArcelorMittal’s Canada unit for violating the country’s Fisheries Act.
The charges stem from several investigations launched by the Canadian environment ministry’s enforcement officers.
The concerned subsection of the law prohibits depositing or permitting “the deposit of a deleterious substance in water frequented by fish or in any place where the deleterious substance may enter any such water,” the government said.
In a significant environmental legal action, 200 charges have been filed against ArcelorMittal, alleging the unauthorized discharge of toxic substances into water bodies in the Fermont region. These charges, spanning from May 2014 to June 2022, focus on the company’s operations at Mont-Wright and Fire Lake mines, affecting tributaries of the Moisie River. This article explores the details of these accusations, the substances involved, and their broader implications.
Overview of the Accusations
The charges, brought by the federal administration, accuse ArcelorMittal of releasing harmful substances into water bodies without authorization. These incidents occurred over nearly a decade at two key mining complexes. The affected waterways are critical ecosystems, supporting diverse aquatic life and playing a vital role in the local environment.
Types of Toxins and Their Impact
The substances allegedly discharged include zinc, nickel, suspended matter, and effluents with acute lethality. These toxins can significantly degrade water quality, harming fish populations and disrupting aquatic ecosystems. According to Environment Canada, these substances can lead to long-term ecological damage, affecting not only fish but also the broader biodiversity dependent on these water systems.
Legal and Environmental Implications
The charges are filed under the Fisheries Act, specifically targeting the discharge of substances that can harm fish in water bodies. This legal action underscores the importance of adhering to environmental regulations to protect aquatic life. The case highlights the need for stringent environmental oversight and corporate accountability in industrial operations.Indeed it does, and these charges show us oversight is not happening and responsible accountable mining is also not happening. FFS. These charges are a decade too late!
Conclusion and Call to Action
In summary, the 200 charges against ArcelorMittal highlight critical issues of environmental protection and corporate lack ofresponsibility. As this case progresses, it serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding our natural resources. Readers are encouraged to stay informed about environmental issues and support initiatives that promote sustainability and ecological preservation.
Enhance by poison? “Want” does not make it happen.
