Nova Scotia mining company fined for environmental charges

Atlantic Mining NS Inc., the subsidiary of an Australian gold mining company, has been fined$10,000 and ordered to pay an additional $240,000 in financial penalties after pleading guilty to federal and provincial environmental charges relating to its gold mining operations on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.

Judge Alanna Murphy imposed the penalties Friday afternoon in Nova Scotia provincial courtaweek after lawyers outlined a plea arrangement to end the case.

The company was originally charged with more than 32 offences, but negotiations over the past year have reduced that number to two.

The company admitted it breached environmental laws by failing to properly test for the level of sedimentin water that could be hazardous to fish habitat. It also failed to regularly report findings to government as required.

In an agreed statement of facts entered into the record last week, the company admitted responsibility and expressed regret. But it alsopointed out that there was no evidence that fish were actually harmed by these offences, which occurred between February 2018 and May 2020.

2 organizations to receive half the payout

Half of the money the company has agreed to pay, $120,000, will be distributed to two organizations, the Mi'kmaq Conservation Group (Netukulimk) and the Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources. The other half will be paid into an environmental damages fund.

As part of its sentence, the company is required to hire outside environmental consultants to review its practices, and company employees are also to be subject to training on proper environmental procedures.

Atlantic Mining is a subsidiary of Australia company StBarbara Limited.