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Asbestos Mine Tailings and Former Sites: Perspectives
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
The exploitation of chrysotile asbestos deposits was one of the pillars of mining development and served as a driving force behind the Industrial Revolution in Quebec. This activity has profoundly shaped Quebec’s economic and social history.
While asbestos mining generated significant economic benefits, it also left behind a legacy of numerous former mining sites with large piles of asbestos-containing mine tailings. Today, the management and valorization of these residues, as well as the rehabilitation of these sites, present many challenges.
Over the years, several projects aimed at valorizing these residues have been proposed or implemented. More recently, new opportunities have emerged thanks to advances in research and development and increased investment in the region.
This session offers an overview of perspectives for the valorization of asbestos mine tailings and the rehabilitation of mining sites, while taking into account the various challenges involved.
1:30 p.m.
Welcome Address
1:40 p.m.
Contribution of Characterization to the Development of Asbestos Mine Tailing Valorization Processes: State of Knowledge and Future Prospects in Québec
Conference details
Asbestos mine tailings (AMT) have been generated over more than a century of mining at several asbestos-rich sites in Québec. These tailings are estimated at over 800 MT across all tailings piles in Estrie and Chaudière-Appalaches and contain significant amounts of magnesium, silicon, nickel and cobalt, representing a major potential resource. This presentation provides an inventory of relevant knowledge on AMT to support valorization efforts. It was found that AMT mainly consist of serpentine-group minerals with relatively constant magnesium (15 to 25%) and nickel (0.14 to 0.25%) content. The presentation provides a state of knowledge on the volume distribution of the tailings, their mineralogical composition and the liberation of critical metal-bearing phases. It also addresses the challenges associated with mineral identification, particularly serpentines, as well as the identification of host species for critical metals, such as nickel. Sources of uncertainty related to their variability are also discussed.
The main current or considered valorization pathways target the production of metallic magnesium, magnesium oxide, amorphous silica and mineral fertilizers, as well as the recovery of critical metals and CO2 sequestration through mineral carbonation. Today, these industrial projects continue to face challenges such as health and safety issues related to the presence of residual asbestos fibres and high energy requirements for certain processes. The analysis will highlight the multiplicity of potential products and processes for AMT valorization.
