VICTORIA, B.C. – The government of British Columbia is seeking public input on proposed changes to the Mines Act.
The B.C. ministry of energy, mines and petroleum resources, which received an extra $20 million of funding from Budget 2019, has created a new Mines Health, Safety and Enforcement Division (MHED) independent of the Mines Competitiveness and Authorizations Division.
The MHED’s priorities are health, safety, compliance management, enforcement activities and auditing, a government release said.
“Our government’s number 1 priority for this foundational industry is safety — for workers, our environment and communities. We’ve invested $20 million over three years to hire more inspectors on the ground and ensure more frequent inspections. The feedback that we receive from British Columbians will be critical for informing how we improve our mining laws and ensure that mining in B.C. is done right,” B.C. minister of energy, mines and petroleum Michelle Mungall said.
Proposed amendments to the Mines Act include formally establishing an oversight unit with an auditing function, separating specific-decision making powers and authorities under the act to make sure authorizations and permitting are separated from auditing and enforcement powers, and enhancing compliance and enforcement provisions.
The Mines Act regulates mining activity in the province from early exploration to production and closures as well as applications, permits, health and safety, compliance and enforcement.
Public engagement is open until Oct. 25 through a short survey, email and through mailed feedback to:
Attn: Citizen Engagement
PO BOX 9484 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, B.C.
V8W 9W6
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