Protect waters and communities from toxic mine waste

Our analysis shows that B.C. mines are storing at least 2.5 billion cubic metres of liquid mine waste behind some of the highest dams in the world. This volume would fill one million Olympic-sized swimming pools or B.C. Place stadium 943 times! If B.C. approves 11 proposed new mines, that volume is expected to increase by 75%. 

Climate change-related extreme weather, such as the atmospheric rivers B.C. experienced in 2021, is exacerbating the risk that these mine waste dams could fail. A dam failure could result in serious consequences, including loss of life, damage to roads and infrastructure, and destruction of ecosystems, including salmon watersheds, worse than what happened at Mount Polley in 2014.