The Price of Gold Mining, Pollution, and Resistance in Yellowknife

Author/creator Sandlos, John Author
Other author Keeling, Arn Author
Format Electronic
Publication InfoMontreal : McGill-Queen's University Press Chicago : Chicago Distribution Center [Distributor]
Description276 p. ill 22.700 x 015.200 cm.
Supplemental ContentFull text available from eBooks on EBSCOhost
Subjects

SeriesMcGill-Queen's Rural, Wildland, and Resource Studies Ser. 19
Summary Annotation Fifty years of gold mining at Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories spurred northern settlement and produced millions of dollars in profits. But mineral processing also had catastrophic environmental effects and left a troubled legacy. When two mining companies in Yellowknife began processing gold ore in the 1940s, they did so with little or no pollution control. Giant Mine spewed thousands of kilograms of arsenic trioxide from its roaster stack into the environment, causing illness and death among people and animals, especially in the adjacent Yellowknives Dene community. Even after the companies installed controls, arsenic trioxide continued to enter the atmosphere and waterways. Eventually Giant Mine, the biggest polluter, would bury 237,000 tonnes of highly toxic arsenic dust underground. For decades, the mining companies and the federal government hid the worst effects of the pollution, doubted their own studies, and resisted calls for action. Yet the Yellowknives Dene fought back with the support of labour unions and environmental groups, questioning the safety of the air and water in their community. The Price of Gold traces the troubling history of one of Canada's most contaminated sites but also the inspiring story of Indigenous, labour, and environmental activists who resisted the ongoing poisoning of their communities.
Access restrictionAvailable only to authorized users.
Technical detailsMode of access: World Wide Web
Genre/formElectronic books.
ISBN9780228026174
ISBN0228026172 (Trade Paper) Active Record
Standard identifier# 9780228026174
Stock number00305701

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