An inventory of abandoned mining exploration sites in Nunavik, Canada¹

This article presents, for the first time in the literature, an inventory of abandoned mining exploration sites in Nunavik, namely the sites containing materials representing a danger to the environment and human health, to lay the foundations for a priority cleanup operation. In this article, the historical context of mining exploration in Canada first provides a backdrop for the research problem. The methodology section then examines the various techniques tested during a pilot project aimed at determining the feasibility of the project at the lowest cost. The final section presents an inventory of abandoned sites and begins an initial discussion of the potential impacts associated with these sites and some of the priority actions envisioned to mitigate these impacts.