Mining Company Denies Wrongdoing After Environment Canada Claims 15 years Polluting Ontario River [S

Read the story here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/vale-water-contamination-environment-1.3292176

Nickel, in high concentrations, or for a long duration of exposure, is carcinogenic to humans. Nickel is a known haematotoxic, immunotoxic, neurotoxic, genotoxic, reproductive toxic, pulmonary toxic, nephrotoxic , hepatotoxic and carcinogenic agent.

An investigationg did not, and would not have, taken place unless a local man made a complaint about green foam on the water.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Here in BC, similar allegations were admitted to by the Cominco mine in the Kootenays: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/teck-coal-facing-serious-water-pollution-in-elk-valley/article10131510/

" a long running court case filed by Washington state’s Native American Colville Confederated Tribes over environmental damage from smelter effluents, [Cominco] confessed to polluting the upper reaches of the Columbia River for nearly a century.[17] According to reports, the Teck smelter in the city of Trail disposed of hazardous effluent in adjacent river systems between 1896 and 1995.[17]"

I'm sure we all remember the Mt. Polley Mine Disaster last year which leaked millions of gallons of waste into a major watershed in BC, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Polley_mine_disaster

On August 5th of this year, 3 million gallons of toxic waste was released into the Animas River which feeds the Navajo Nation in Colorado. Generations of unregulated discharges in the area have left Cement Creek, and the upper Animas River, largely devoid of fish and other aquatic life. More info: Here.

Here's the point that comes to drinking water: When the Mount Polley Mine Disaster happened, the waste water was stated as "Very Close To Drinking Water Quality." What does this tell us about the "standards" set for our drinking water?