Quebec mining company fined $100 million for polluting fish-bearing waters

The logo of ArcelorMittal is shown in this handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — ArcelorMittal (Mandatory credit)

MONTREAL — A Quebec mining company was handed a $100-million fine for releasing harmful substances into fish-bearing waters between 2014 and 2022 at the Mont-Wright and Fire Lake mining complexes in the Côte-Nord region.

The Public Prosecution Service of Canada says the sanction on ArcelorMittal Mining Canada is the harshest ever imposed under the Fisheries Act.

The company pleaded guilty to 100 counts under the Act and will pay a $1-million fine for each count, most of which will go toward the federal Environmental Damages Fund, after reaching a settlement.

ArcelorMittal will have to pay an additional $249,903.61 to Environment and Climate Change Canada to cover investigation costs.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, George Dolhai, says polluters must be held accountable for offences resulting from their negligence.

In a news release, ArcelorMittal says the mines discharged nickel and zinc into fish-bearing waters, and that most infractions occurred before 2019.

It adds that since then, it has invested in infrastructure to improve water issues on-site, including a water treatment facility.

“The settlement reached and announced today will mark the end of this chapter,” said Mapi Mobwano, president and chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal Mining Canada, in a statement. “We are committed to improving the environmental performance of our operations.”

Mobwano added he was confident the company had taken steps to avoid similar situations in the future.

“The communities around our operations are extremely important to us and we will continue to ensure that we are taking the right decisions to protect the environment,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2026.

The Canadian Press