Waste by-products of mining activities can have environmental, social and economic impacts. Elevated concentrations of heavy metals and acid generating tailings leave an environmental footprint on active mine sites that require long-term monitoring and, for mines that have been abandoned or improperly contained, can result in the destruction of surrounding ecosystems. In addition, the presence of toxic and sometimes radioactive wastes can pose immediate health risks to nearby communities through dust dispersal and surface and groundwater contamination. There are an estimated twenty-seven thousand orphaned and abandoned mines across Canada, and billions of dollars of remediation liability for acid mine drainage contamination, extensive disruption of critical habitat areas, and profound social impacts on neighbouring communities.

The Sustainable Management and Rehabilitation of Mine Sites for Decision Support project focuses on advancing sustainable development by providing improved maps and databases of indicators required for land use management and environmental forecasting. With SDKI partners and other stakeholders, this project will overcome technological barriers and advance decision support systems to influence proactive policies promoting sustainable environment practices. This project supports these initiatives by developing technology to provide reliable standardized information products using hyperspectral and radar remote sensing integrated with ancillary information for decision-support to quantify indicators for site rehabilitation and assist in the development of a national inventory of orphaned/abandoned mines.

Project Priorities

• Collaborate with decision-makers and stakeholders to ensure the development of relevant spatial information products;
• Develop spatial tools to support a national inventory of orphaned/abandoned mines in Canada;
• Facilitate long-term monitoring, assessment and rehabilitation of acid-generating tailings and waste rock disposal areas through effective implementation of spatial tools.
• Facilitate the assessment and modelling of socioeconomic and environmental impacts of mine wastes through the development of data and information integration techniques.