THE VOICE OF THE CANADIAN

MINING INDUSTRY SINCE 1935

Mining industry looks forward to participating in federal regulatory review

The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) plans to be a full, active participant in the federal government’s review of environmental and regulatory processes.

“The mining industry’s experience with the regulatory reforms of 2012 differs from many other sectors. In contrast to others, our sector experienced not less, but more oversight of projects, more stringent requirements, and more uncertainty, especially during the transition to the new regime,” stated Pierre Gratton, President and CEO, MAC. “We have considerable knowledge and experience to share with the government, Indigenous peoples and other stakeholders in terms of how the current system is being implemented and what can be done to improve overall public confidence, certainty and predictability of federal reviews.

Mining projects are subject to several federal laws, including the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act and Navigation Protection Act. Today, mining projects represent the majority of federal environmental assessments and Section 35 authorizations under the Fisheries Act.

MAC welcomes the government’s approach to multi-stakeholder consultation. The government has committed to revive multi-stakeholder forums, comprising environmental groups, Indigenous organizations and industry, to serve as consultative bodies during this review process – a key recommendation made by MAC and many others. MAC hopes and expects to participate on the government’s proposed multi-interest advisory committee.

“Collaboration and consultation should be cornerstones of this review. The announcement today involved six Ministers from relevant portfolios, which underscores the high level of integration and collaboration needed as government works on regulatory reform. This is especially true for the mining sector, as our mines require many different federal approvals,” said Gratton.

Beyond a more collaborative and consultative process, MAC is also recommending that government carefully plan for the transition and ensure there is enough capacity to carry out any new approach.  In the first instance, MAC will be consulting members to provide the mining sector’s views on the draft Terms of Reference for the Environmental Assessment Expert Panel.

As mining projects are also regulated provincially and territorially, the federal government should consider how to improve coordination not only between the various federal departments, but also with the provinces and territories to avoid delays and confusion.

-30-

About MAC

The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry.  Its members account for most of Canada’s production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal and mined oil sands, and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca.

Related Resources

Guides & Manuals  | 
This Guidance Document on Conducting Studies of Selenium in Fish Tissue was developed by MAC to support companies required to conduct such studies under the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent[...]

Popular Resources

Report  | 
MAC’s annual flagship publication detailing the latest trends in the Canadian mining industry.

Canadian Mining Stories

The sector is a major economic driver in our Canadian economy and a great contributor to jobs and leading technologies and here are our stories. 

Valérie Gourde

Valérie Gourde, Eldorado Gold’s Director of Strategic Communications & Community Relations with strong family connections to Canada’s mining sector, is responsible for communications, government relations & community relations, including with...

Martha Manuel

Martha Manuel, the recipient of Women in Mining Canada’s 2020 Trailblazer Award, focuses on ensuring Canada’s mining sector creates long term benefits for the communities in which it operates.

Subscribe to MAC News

"*" indicates required fields

Name

*Indicates a required field

You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy.

By clicking submit, you consent to allow The Mining Association of Canada to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.