Whats in the dirt

<p>We take human health very seriously and we have undertaken several studies, the results of which will help us, and you, understand what&rsquo;s in the dirt and rock we are mining.</p> <p>Right now, what we do know is the proposed Ajax mine, and the entire southern border of Kamloops, is in an area where many minerals lie just underneath the surface. This is evident from the numerous past and present mines in the area. We also know that the act of mining ore deposits does not, in itself, create toxic elements.</p> <p>In the mine area, approximately 98-percent of the dirt is composed of eight common rock forming elements: oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium. The remaining 2-percent are sulphides that contain trace amounts of elements which could be, under certain conditions, harmful to human health.</p> <p>It&rsquo;s important to remember that for these elements to become harmful to human health two things must occur:</p> <ol> <li>The elements have to be very concentrated, and</li> <li>The elements have to be transported by either air (dust) or water to where they would be ingested by someone.</li> </ol> <p>We realize how important it will be to understand the extent of dust fall from our mine site and, in turn, control this dust. Additionally, by studying the weather patterns in the region combined with studying water chemistry and drainage routes, we will know if there is a potential for any harmful elements to be transported from the proposed mine site.</p> <p>We have been studying background dust fall, weather patterns and the water quality and quantity in Kamloops for several years and our studies to date indicate that harmful elements will not be transported by air (dust) or water. For example, background studies indicate that the current water in the area is naturally high in iron and aluminum, which is common in mineralized zones.</p> <p>Right now, we are working on finalizing the data from our studies. This information, along with our control plans, will be available for public review in our Application, the next stage of the Environmental Assessment process. The Application will contain a discussion of baseline measurement, impact of mining, mitigation plans and environmental management systems for every concern.</p> <p>We know our neighbours are looking for answers and we know this blog post doesn&rsquo;t answer all of the questions. But please know, we are answering questions as data results become available. And, the remainder of the questions will be answered in our Application. In the meantime, if you want to discuss the project further, please call us at 250.374.5446, email us at <a href="mailto:info@ajaxmine.ca">info@ajaxmine.ca</a> or visit us at <a href="http://www.ajaxmine.ca">www.ajaxmine.ca</a>.</p>