Quebecers refuse to sacrifice their health and the environment in the name of the economy and the mining industry, according to a Léger poll released on Tuesday.
"[People] are demanding major reforms to reduce the industry's footprint, protect people's health, and require community consent before any mining activity takes place on their territory," reads a statement released by the Ministry. Leger survey team.
Nearly four out of five Quebecers (79%) say that we must prioritize health and the environment before the economy, even if this means stopping certain mining projects. Only 28% of people polled believe the mining industry and government are doing enough to protect the environment.
A total of 80% of respondents agree that governments should prioritize the reuse and recycling of minerals before operating more mines and 54% believe that reducing mining extraction is necessary to combat climate change .
Almost all individuals support strong environmental measures to ban the dumping of mining waste into lakes and welcome the addition of significant penalties.
Three out of four people call for a ban on any mining project in tourist or resort areas and 78% of respondents are in favor of the idea of requiring the consent of people in the localities concerned before going ahead with a project. mining.
The survey was conducted from July 11 to 18 with 995 Quebecers, 50% of whom were Montrealers.