Mining Facts The Arctic region contains many valuable and unexploited mineral deposits. Mining waste can quickly contaminate underground aquifers. Large mining operations in the Arctic usually involve the construction of miles and miles of roads. Indigenous communties are often adversely affected by the social and cultural influences from mining operations and the associated workforce. Until recently, mining regulation in the Arctic had been limited at best. Site tailings easily degrade vulnerable Arctic soils. Did you know? Some projections suggest an that 80 per cent of the Arctic could be affected by mining, oil and gas exploration, ports, roads and other develop-ments by 2050. The slow growth and limited sunlight of the Arctic environment gives it a high degree of environmental vulner-ability. The migration of vast caribou herds is now threatened by plans for major pipelines and roads.

The Arctic region is endowed with abundant mineral resources. However, limited sunlight, low temperatures and slow natural growth processes, make the Arctic environment extremely vulnerable to mining activities and its associated pollution. Fragile ecosystems are now facing accelerating threats from mining industries, particularly in economically-depressed Russia and Siberia. Major deposits of valuable ores have been found all across the region and many nations have expressed an interest in the Arctic's resources. Caught up in the expansion are the unique wildlife (and human) communities of the Arctic whose future health is anything but clear.

Mining and its associated development have already degraded parts of the Arctic's pristine habitats. Hundreds of mines exist north of the Arctic circle extracting a variety of materials. Russian sites yield gold, tin, tungsten, diamonds, nickel, copper, and coal. Coal is mined in Svalbard, and iron ore is mined in northern Sweden. Canada, Greenland, and Alaska produce gold, diamonds, tin, tungsten, silver, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, asbestos, uranium, coal and other minor ores. Perhaps more disturbing than the mines themselves are the far-reaching impacts of mine infrastructure -- roads, powerlines, and settlement buildings -- on native flora and fauna.

Mining is also contaminating some marine environments. Waste and tailings from unregulated industries can pollute rivers and streams which carry their load of contaminants onto the rich feeding grounds of the continental shelves. There, contaminant levels tend to build up in the fatty tissues of fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.

Reindeer and caribou are crucial to many indigenous people, especially in the Scandinavian and Russian Arctic. Traditional grazing ranges have been threatened by commercial mineral exploration. Many herders have had to reduce their herds or relocate them to unsuitable areas. This results in overgrazing of the tundra lichens, trampling of vegetation, and loss of biodiversity.

Clearly, large-scale mineral extraction has created a strong need for regulations and impact analysis. Thoughtful management and utilization of mineral resources is imperative so that environmental impacts may be kept at a minimum. Recognizing the links between energy, environment and economic development in the Arctic has become increasingly important in maintaining a global and regional perspective.