MDMER

Question 1

What is an enabling act?

Answer 1

regulations are made under the authority of an act

Question 2

What is the main purpose of the Fisheries Act?

Answer 2

protect fish habitat and prevent pollution-prevents the deposit of deleterious substances into water frequented by fish unless authorized

Question 3

What is defined as a fish habitiat?

Answer 3

any spawning grounds, nursery, rearing, food supply and migration areas where fish depend on directly or indirectly to carry out their life processes

Question 4

When was the MDMER first proposed and then updated?

Answer 4

1977 and then 2002

Question 5

What was the purpose of the MDMER?

Answer 5

limit the deposit of deleterious substances into frequented by fish in mines

Question 6

Who does the MDMER apply to?

Answer 6

all metal or diamond mines in canada that have effluent discharge exceeding 50m3 a day and discharge a deleterious substance

Question 7

What is the final discharge point?

Answer 7

an identifiable discharge point of a mine beyond which the operator of the mine no longer exercises control over quality of the effluent

Question 8

What are tailings?

Answer 8

are materials left over after the process of separating valuable fraction from the gangue of the ore

Question 9

When are mine operators allowed to deposit an effluent into waterr?

Answer 9

1. concentrations do not exceed max set point
2. pH is between 6.5 - 9.0
3. effluent is not acutely lethal

Question 10

How is acute lethality monitored in mine effluents?

Answer 10

96hr Rainbow trout and 48hr daphnia
threespine stickleback (96) and acartia tonsa (48) for marine

Question 11

What is Environmental Effects Monitoring Program?

Answer 11

program set to achieve national uniformity in monitoring effects in aquatic environment while taking into consideration site specific factors

Question 12

What are the three studies EEM makes mines conduct?

Answer 12

Effluent quality, water quality and biological monitoring

Question 13

What is the purpose of the effluent monitoring studies?

Answer 13

provide background informationand interpretation of results of biological monitoring

Question 14

What are the two main components of an effluent quality study?

Answer 14

effluent characterization
sublethal tox testing

Question 15

What is the purpose of effluent characterization?

Answer 15

concentrations on additional compounds in effluent

Question 16

Where is the sample collected to do sublethal tox tests?

Answer 16

final discharge point and same effluent for characterization

Question 17

What species must be tested for a freshwater environment?

Answer 17

fish, invertebrate, algal species and plant species

Question 18

What species must be tested for a marine environment?

Answer 18

fish, invertebrate and algal species

Question 19

What are the parameters for water quality studies?

Answer 19

done 4x a year, tracers for plume, tested for same parameters as effluent characterization and temp and dissolved o2

Question 20

What are the components of a biological monitoring study?

Answer 20

1. site characterization
2. study design
3. biological monitoring studies

Question 21

What is the purpose of the study design and site characterization?

Answer 21

outlines info about operation, study area, confounding factors and how biological monitoring will be completed

Question 22

What are the three components of the biological effects monitoring?

Answer 22

Fish population
Fish tissue
Benthic community

Question 23

How is a fish population survey carried out?

Answer 23

collecting fish species in ref site and site and comparing age, weight, lenght, liver size, gonad size, feceundity and egg size

Question 24

When is a fish population survey NOT required?

Answer 24

if conc. of effluent in the exposure area is less than 1% within 250m of each final discharge point

Question 25

When is a fish tissue survey required?

Answer 25

when total Hg in effluent is > 0.10ug/L annual average selenium conc. is >5ug/L or single grab is 10ug/L

Question 26

What must be reported for benthic studies?

Answer 26

total organic carbon content and particle size distribution of sediment along with measurements of benthic invertebrates

Question 27

What are some conditions that make it so benthic and fish studies may not be able to be done in mines?

Answer 27

hazardous conditions and cofounding factors

Question 28

What are the recommended alternative monitoring methods?

Answer 28

mesocosm (fish and benthic) caged bivalve expanded sublethal studies

Question 29

What is an initial monitoring?

Answer 29

biological study where a mine has no other data present-purpose to determine if effluent is having an effect on fish and benthic organisms

Question 30

What is a focused monitoring study?

Answer 30

determine magnitude and geographic extent of the effect-only if two consecutive EEM shows same effects

Question 31

How far does sampling go for focused studies?

Answer 31

until effects can no longer be found

Question 32

What is an investigation of cause study?

Answer 32

If focused study cannot determine cause