Ring of Fire is a swampland in Northern Ontario. The area, found within an aboriginal area, consists of boreal forest, lakes, and rivers. This area is covered by a treaty and is protected under Canadian aboriginal law. In 2006, large deposits of minerals were uncovered leading mineralogists to reach the conclusion that there would be large, deep deposits of Chromite, a key ingredient in stainless steel. With this discovery, it was established that the area would be mined for this valuable mineral. The issue, however, is that there is also evidence of environmental impact issues, which may not be reversible. This paper will discuss these issues and recommend the best means of conducting an environmental impact analysis.

The first issue that must be studied is the water-table system in the area. It is well established that mining typically impacts water-tables for hundreds of hectacres surrounding the entire site. The water-table...
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