Century Mining ordered to pay $220,712 for Fisheries Act violations

March 17, 2014 - Val-d’Or, Quebec

The Century Mining Corporation (Sigma-Lamaque mines) in Val-d’Or, Quebec, was found guilty of violating the Fisheries Act and ordered to pay 220,712 dollars on March 10, 2014. This amount represents a fine of 129,000 dollars and additional fines of 91,712 dollars for monetary benefits, under section 79 of the Fisheries Act, for having failed to carry out the environmental effects monitoring studies of its mining effluents.

Quick Facts

• This judgment was rendered following legal action stemming from an investigation conducted by Environment Canada’s Environmental Enforcement Directorate that began in July 2010.
• The company was found guilty of thirteen charges for having failed to provide, in 2010 and 2011, different environmental effects monitoring study reports and mining effluent monitoring reports required under the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations, in violation of the Fisheries Act.
• Environmental effects monitoring studies are a mandatory element of the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations. The owner or operator of a mine must monitor the potential effects of effluents on the fish population, the fish tissue and the benthic invertebrate community in accordance with the requirements and within the stipulated timeframes.

Associated links

Fisheries Act

Metal Mining Effluent Regulations

For more information, contact:

Media Relations
Environment Canada
819-934-8008