Contaminated site costs increased 95% since 2019: 60% of budget attributed to northern sites
The NWT’s giant mine and the Yukon’s feral mine feature prominently in the report. They are case studies looked at as examples of how the federal government handles large, high risk abandoned mines. Canada’s Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development did not like what he saw. At both sites. Contamination persists and neither have perpetual care plans or a comprehensive plan for adapting to climate change. The commissioner also found remediation costs had ballooned. The federal government’s financial liability for 24,000 contaminated sites across Canada was once pegged at $2.9 billion. Now it’s more than 10 billion. This is an enormous financial burden on taxpayers and represents a failure to properly implement the polluter pays principle as many private sector sites had to be taken over by the federal government. The audit also looked at local benefits. It says remediation jobs are an opportunity for reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. The report found that although people in remote northern communities suffered from exposure to contaminants, they are not benefiting from the cleanups. It recommends having more Indigenous people involved in the process. Lenny Lambrink, CBC News, Yellowknife.