Mr. Speaker, the Canadian mining industry consists of very dedicated people.
Each day however this industry generates approximately one million tonnes of waste rock and 950,000 tonnes of tailings; some 650 million tonnes of waste per year. We have approximately 6,000 abandoned tailing sites and over 10,000 abandoned mines resulting in clean-up costs conservatively estimated at $6 billion, costs which will likely be borne by taxpayers.
A sustainable mining industry would ensure that the price paid for its products includes the costs of repairing damage to the environment. To further the implementation of sustainable development the government could ensure the efficient use of minerals and metals through the removal of tax barriers favouring the use of virgin material over recycled material.