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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!   The Atlantic Canada Association for Impact Assessment (ACAIA) is pleased to present our 4th Spring Speaker Series presentation, Tuesday, June 24 at 2 pm (ATL)!

Click here to register.

Join us as Ben Collison (PhD candidate, Dalhousie) shares his IAIA25 presentation, entitled "Boring into groundwater impact predictions of hardrock mines."

Presentation Overview:

Hardrock mining activities can adversely impact groundwater quality and quantity through contaminants and changes to surface and subsurface water cycles and groundwater chemistry. As these impacts can last hundreds of years, proposed mines can be socially contentious. Environmental impact assessments are a legal and policy tool used globally to predict a proposed mine’s positive and/or negative impacts and inform decision-making. Given the possible severity and duration of impacts, it is essential these predictions be as accurate and comprehensive as possible as well as accessible to decision-makers and the public.

The authors consulted environmental impact statements for 16 hardrock mines assessed under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 to evaluate the type and quality of groundwater impact prediction. Only 32% of mines both provided a quantitative impacts model and stated the time period over which the model applied. Post-closure groundwater monitoring plans were proposed for 38% of projects, with a maximum period of ten years (median duration = 5 years). Of the 6 mines (38%) that considered potential effects of climate change, none provided quantitative descriptions of these effects on groundwater. The authors provide recommendations for adjustments to current methods of groundwater impact prediction to improve technical rigour as well as suggestions for more transparent and accessible reporting. These recommendations apply in the Canadian context and beyond to support informed decision-making about proposed hardrock mines and build trust with stakeholders and rightsholders.

About the Presenter:

Ben Collison is a PhD Candidate in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University. His research areas range from ecology to policy, but typically involve forest-watershed dynamics, freshwater fisheries, cumulative effects, and/or environmental impact assessment.

Good news - ACAIA is making this event of our Speaker Series free!

Our Speaker Series aims to bring relevant and interesting content to our members in an engaging and interactive format. Please join us for a first-hand look at what we have to offer!