This proposed Ontario gold mine could pollute water ‘in perpetuity.’ Why is Ottawa fast-tracking it? - Toronto Star

Kinross, the company behind the project, says its plans meet environmental standards and the mine would not harm nearby communities.

At first, the findings by government scientists felt like validation for Grassy Narrows First Nation, which had long raised concerns about plans for a gold mine upriver.

The First Nation has feared the planned mine would worsen the effects of mercury in the water, industrial pollution that has poisoned its people for generations.

The company behind the mine downplayed those concerns, saying its own studies show only minimal impact.

But a flurry of reports by federal agencies released earlier this year as part of a review by the federal Impact Assessment Agency have cast that into doubt.

Internal documents raise questions on whether Kevin Rombout’s move violated ethics law, an allegation that the province and the mining company deny.