A pilot project has been set up for a 350 cubic meter capacity asbestos mining tailing retention basin at the Normandy Mine site in the Municipality of Ireland. It will be used to block the flow of sewage from the sewage to prevent it from flowing into the Bakankoor River.

The development, which took place in October 2021, is part of a plan to develop an asbestos waste control project for the Haute-Bécancour mining sector. The results were presented at a press conference on the Beaconcour Watershed Consultation Group (GROBEC) site on Wednesday, November 24th.

In 2018, the Irish Trout Lake Protection Association (APLTI) commissioned engineer Miroslav Chum to develop plans and features for a development that would retain a portion of the effluent from the Normandy mine dump. GROBEC later took over to raise funds for the construction of the basin. The $ 45,000 project was carried out in partnership with landowner Société Asbestos ltée, which provided the materials needed for the rep. The place was later revitalized with shrubs and seeds of native plants.

“A pit was constructed to divert the flow from the dumps to a ditch on the banks of the Bekancore River. Subsequently, a trench approximately 1.7 m deep was excavated to accommodate the suspended material. Once the contaminant settles to the bottom and fills up to 90% of its capacity, the asbestos company will take care of the waste disposal. These will then be rearranged at the Normandy Mine site, outside the watershed, ”explained Emmanuel Laplande, Grobek general manager.

This pilot project will also serve as an experimental tool to determine the weight of debris coming from the stream. GROBEC will monitor the filling of the basin by measuring the depth outside the winter period. “In this first step, information on the efficiency of the settling basin is obtained. At the end of the day, the goal is to achieve at least one targeted development with plans and features, ”said project manager Pierre-Alexander Bergeron de Ost. A total of 15 sites were found in the area.

“We hope this bed will be the first project that will make it possible to stop this bleeding” – Emmanuel Laplande

Serious prejudice

The plan to develop an asbestos waste control project for the Haute-Bécancour mining area is primarily aimed at determining ways to retain the tailings flowing from the mining sites in the Thetford area. Both cause serious damage to the Beacon River and its flowing lakes, namely Trout (Ireland), William (St.-Ferdinand), Joseph (Inverness, St.-Pierre-Baptist, St.-Ferdinand), and Staterpond. (Ireland).

“GROBEC, in collaboration with the Department of Public Works, Engineering and Environment, Thetford City, and Englobe, a consulting engineering firm, to demonstrate the nature of Haute-Bécancour’s asbestos tiling piles in the area and to develop appropriate mitigation measures for these asbestos excavation sites. It also aims to document the quality of surface water in the river, ”Mr Laplande said.

It should be noted that in January 2021 a steering committee was formed to include the key players in the region. It brings together the concerned municipalities and deputies of the Society Asbestos and Sector to Gran, two mining companies owned by related sites. , Regional Directorates of the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, MRC des Appalachus, APLTI, Viridis Environment and Englob, and Miroslav Chum.

Finally, APLTI President Regin Vesina said he was happy to see the project being implemented on the initiative of his association. “Any action taken to improve the water quality of the Bekancore River is good news. This year, we had a lot of problems with filamentous algae in Lake Trout. Residents are tired and eager for things to happen, ”he said, adding that returning the Beaconcur River Basin to its former Lac Noir would be the best solution in the short term.