Dont worry about the bears,they can swim for miles if need be.
Folks are allready mining the resources,have been for many years but the environmental laws are very strict now,you cant get away with some of the things they did 30 or more years ago.
Now if you take it in,it has to be taken back out(equipment, fuel drums etc) fish and water biologists fly into the mines and camps all the time,water,fish,birds and anything else disturbed is monitored very closely.
Only the locals can **** on the ground and leave their garbage out on the tundra,anyone from outside the territories have strict laws set up by the Innuit that have to be followed.