Federal-Provincial-Territorial Review of Environmental Regulations Affecting Mining in Canada

Abstract

"At the July 1997 Mines Ministers’ Conference (MMC), mines ministers charged the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Mineral Industry (IGWG) with preparing a government/industry report that reviews, in a cross-cutting way, federal-provincial-territorial regulations affecting mining, and proposing appropriate recommendations for their consideration at the 1998 MMC. The purpose of the review was to identify opportunities to work cooperatively to improve existing regulatory regimes by enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of regulations and related decision-making processes. The core components of the review are: • federal environmental regulations and provincial and territorial mining and environmental regulations that affect exploration, development, mining and closure; and • the relationship between relevant provincial/territorial and federal environmental regulations and related decision-making processes (e.g., matters related to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA), the 'Fisheries Act', the 'Navigable Waters Protection Act' (NWPA), the Metal Mining Liquid Effluent Regulations (MMLERs), and relevant provincial and territorial regulations)."