The government of British Columbia and the mining industry often claim to have the strongest environmental and social regulatory regime—especially during May for “B.C. Mining Month.” However, our new report shows there are serious on-going pollution and other risks that keep B.C. from being that world-class mining jurisdiction.
New public opinion polling reveals that 72% of British Columbians believe that the provincial government should be required to seek consent from First Nations and private landowners before issuing mining claims. This is not currently the case.
Today, the court will hear from us and the other intervenors, including B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner, a number of Indigenous nations and political organizations, and mineral exploration companies that support Indigenous peoples’ right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC).
The B.C. Supreme Court has decided to allow all intervenor applicants to make arguments in the Gitxaała Nation’s legal case against the free-entry mineral claim staking process. This includes our coalition of environmental organizations, as well as other First Nations, Indigenous organizations, mining companies, and the B.C. Human Rights Commission.
The BC Mining Law Reform network and several of our member organizations have applied for intervenor status in the Gitxaała Nation’s groundbreaking legal case against the free-entry mineral claim staking process. We’re in court on December 15 and 16 to argue for our right to speak to public interest issues surrounding the Mineral Tenure Act.
Together with SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, we have produced an interactive online map of tailings facilities in B.C. The map provides communities with critical information about the risks posed by billions of cubic metres of toxic wet mine waste, called tailings, stored behind some of the highest dams in the world.
An important new scientific paper out today in Science Advances from 23 science and policy experts draws attention to the massive scale and scope of mining in western North America — and the many ways those estimated 3,600 active and past mines threaten some of the last remaining intact wild salmon and trout rivers in the world.
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) released a progress audit on major mines, six years after the OAG released a scathing report on compliance and enforcement in the mining sector. While it is great to see some progress, the recent audit did not assess all recommendations from the 2016 report, and there are still gaps to adequately protect the environment and communities.
Earthworks, MiningWatch Canada, and the London Mining Network have released an updated version of their Safety First guidelines for improving the management of mine waste disposal facilities, also known as tailings dams. The guidelines were updated as tailings dams around the world are failing with increasing frequency and severity, a risk expected to increase with climate-related extreme weather events.
The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation has released an interim policy on mine reclamation bonding, detailing the financial security mines are required to pay up front to cover the costs of reclamation – a significant step in the right direction in the right direction toward encouraging mining companies to minimize the environmental damage they cause.
