We Canadians are proud of our mining tradition and grateful for the jobs and economic benefits that mining provides. But we must also acknowledge the enormous environmental impacts mining has on our water, soil and, air, as well as on wildlife habitat and, ultimately, on our health. The mining industry generates 650 million tonnes of waste per year. It sends arsenic and sulphur dioxide into our air and acids into our fresh waters. FOE Chile declares that Chile is not equipped to handle the overwhelming demand to develop mining sites.
Chile has no standards for emissions and environmental quality.
Legislation and policies in Chile are very favourable to company investment rather than environmental protection. Caught between the companies and the pro-business government, Chilean communities need a lot of help to protect their environmental and social interests. In Peru, FOE's NGO partners insist that although mining is important to the economy, Peru must address the tremendous social and ecological costs and ensure that mining provides a base for sustainable development. FOE Canada's goal is not to shut down the Canadian mining industry. Mining provides critical raw materials and is a major source of jobs both here and around the world.