Mining - Environmental Impact

Mining has been around for 3000 years. In the year 1000 BCE, Filipinos mined for gold and silver in their mountains. Mining tools have evolved from simple pickaxes to heavy machines. These equipments have improved the lives of humans and has given the world more resources. However, giving humans access to valuable minerals have made us greedy for money and we, as humans, only focus on the money aspect of mining. The environment is almost always disturbed near a mining facility and people are always in danger of cave-ins and other harmful experiences.

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The Britannia Mine Museum, formerly British Columbia Museum of Mining, is a nonprofit organization in Britannia Beach, 35 miles north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on the Sea-to-Sky Highway. It is governed by the Britannia Beach Historical Society.

When I visited Canada in the summer of 2019, I went to the Britannia Beach Copper Mine. After I toured the mine, I understood how it was like to be a miner in the early 1900’s and the perilous situations they got into. Firstly, the miners had 8 hour shifts, everyday other than holidays like Christmas, in the dark corridors of the mine. They would also share their bed with two other people. While one was on work shift, another was on break and the third would be sleeping. Secondly, the miners would be exposed to extremely loud noises, low light levels, smoke and dust from drills, and the potential danger of a cave-in, explosion, or flooding. All the equipment, including drills, carts, and dynamite, would make loud sounds, making many of the miners deaf. The low light levels would also make many miners have sight problems outside of the mines. The smoke and dust would cause lung problems for the miners.

Mining also brings prosperity to the area. The Britannia Beach Copper Mine has had a 70 year history as a mine. Over those years, 60000 people have called this place home. The small community would always support each. Avalanches, floods, and fires raged through the town, but the people would hold on to everything. They would make sure that the town was firmly rooted and would not be washed away like rainwater into the bay.

The environment also gets impacted by mines. Using the example of the Britannia Beach Copper Mine, I can give a few examples of the mine affecting the environment. Firstly, the managers of the mine would have had trees cleared of the mountain to set up mills and villages. Secondly, to import material, the builders had to use ships burning coal to move the material. Thirdly, the dam that controlled water control in the mine recently flooded and brought copper into the water system. The water was stained a bright orange and the pH levels became very acidic. The water flowed all the way down into the bay and animals began to die or mutate. Fortunately, people helped clean up the mess and fix the dam.

I hope that you have learned about the positive and negative affects of mining. Next time someone talks about mining, you know what to say in order to help them see what the affects of mining are.