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MINE REHABILITATION IN MANITOBA
2007-08 Rehabilitation Projects
 The $6.8 million allocated will include funding for rehabilitation projects at Sherridon, Lynn
Lake, Gods Lake and nine smaller sites in the Whiteshell and Bissett areas.
 At Sherridon, engineering work will be completed as well as survey work for the dam across Camp Lake and work will begin on the Sherlet Creek restoration.
 At Lynn Lake, rehabilitation work will include demolition of buildings within the mine complex including the headframe, ground cover trials and dyke stabilization.
 Work at Gods Lake will involve the demolition of the Elk Island power line.
History of Sherridon Mine and Rehabilitation of Mine Site
 The mine operated from 1931 to 1951 as a copper-zinc producer and deposited seven million tons of acid-generating tailings into nearby designated lakes.
 In 1952 and 1953, the mine was closed and the site cleaned up in accordance with the standards of the day.
 Between 1976 and 1998, the province commissioned a number of environmental studies and reports.
 From 2000 to 2006, more than $1.5 million was spent to install fences and cap shafts to address safety concerns and old mine structures were demolished and cleaned up.
 A rehabilitation plan for the site has been developed by Wardrop Engineering to control wind-blown tailings, control acid and metal discharges to Kississing Lake and make the site safe.
 The clean up is scheduled to be complete by 2012.
 In addition to mine site rehabilitation at Sherridon, a new water treatment and distribution system has been installed with $1.1 million in funding from Manitoba Aboriginal and
Northern Affairs and Manitoba Science, Technology, Energy and Mines as well as funding from the federal government.
Manitoba Achievements
 In 2000, Manitoba established the Orphaned and Abandoned Mine Site Rehabilitation
Program now administered through Manitoba Science, Technology, Energy and Mines to address public safety and environmental health concerns.
 In 2005, ‘polluter pays’ practices were strengthened under legislative amendments accepted by government in response to an auditor general’s report on contaminated sites.
All of the report’s recommendations will be acted upon including:
A new, separate process to track and identify government-owned sites.
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A financial policy to include environmental liabilities.
Amendments to the Dangerous Goods Handling and Transportation Act will be introduced to reinforce the polluter pays principle by improving departmental costrecovery options.
 In March 2006, Manitoba established a $70-million environmental liability account earmarked for the rehabilitation of orphaned and abandoned mine sites.
 To date, the province has spent over $6 million on orphaned and abandoned mine site rehabilitation through Man itoba Conservation’s Environmental Health Risk Assessment
Program and the Orphaned and Abandoned Mine Site Rehabilitation Program administered through Manitoba Science, Technology, Energy and Mines.
 Under the program, 149 former mine sites were identified as orphaned or abandoned, five of which are considered high priority (Lynn Lake, Sherridon, Gods Lake, Snow Lake and
Baker Patton).
 All 149 sites have been inspected for safety and environmental hazards and scheduled for rehabilitation; meetings have been held in communities affected by orphaned or abandoned mine sites to present rehabilitation plans; rehabilitation work has been undertaken or is ongoing at the five high-priority sites and long-term rehabilitation plans are being developed for all 149 sites.
 Information on the history, issues, programs and initiatives related to the rehabilitation of
Manitoba’s orphaned or abandoned mine sites is available on the Manitoba Science,
Technology, Energy and Mines web site at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/iedm/mrd/mines/oa_rehabilitation.html
 Manitoba’s ongoing work on the rehabilitation of orphaned or abandoned mines is consistent with NOAMI objectives to address key priorities and issues including:
building a national inventory,
setting standards and rational expectations,
ownership and liability issues,
identification of funding models, and
community involvement.
Importance of Mining to Manitoba
 Mining continues to be a key contributor to the Manitoba economy and to the prosperity of many northern communities.
second-largest primary resource industry,
exceeded $2 billion in mineral production for 2006, and
employs approximately 3,500 people directly, most of whom live in the north, and another 14,000 through spin-off business.