The Politics of Mining in BC

Looking for some good mining-policy questions with which to grill your local candidates? We've got you covered.

Nikki Skuce

Pit mining - Island Copper Mine, Port Hardy, BC

Island Copper Mine, Port Hardy, BC | Photo CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 by Robert Ciavarro

Where do BC politicians stand on new mining laws?

Transitioning to a renewable-energy economy means increased demand for BC minerals and metals. With the provincial election set for October 19, it’s time to get candidates on record about urgent mining issues.

Modernizing the Mineral Tenure Act

The courts have ordered BC to modernize its Mineral Tenure Act (MTA), the cornerstone of mining laws in the province, . This is an opportunity to overhaul a system that dates back to the gold-rush era and grants mineral exploration rights without considering Indigenous rights and other land-use priorities.

The MTA must be reshaped to respect free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples and address contemporary environmental and social concerns.

Political parties should explain how they plan to ensure that the new MTA respects environmental limits, recognizes Indigenous rights, protects biodiversity and adapts to contemporary land-use values.

Question: With the Supreme Court now mandating reform to the claim-staking process, how would your government move forward with modernizing the Mineral Tenure Act? 

Enhancing safety and oversight

The Mount Polley disaster a decade ago is a stark reminder of what’s at stake when it comes to environmental protections. Will the parties commit to implementing robust regulatory frameworks to prevent similar environmental catastrophes? Their platforms should show how they plan to improve oversight, enhance penalties for non-compliance, and ensure that mining activities do not compromise ecosystem health. Voters need to understand each party’s commitment toward more responsible mining.

Questions:

One of the key challenges with mining is managing mine waste and tailings ponds. What will your government commit to do to ensure mine tailings safety? 

Would your government commit to reducing the risk of tailings failures by creating a strategy to “de-risk” and reduce the number of tailings dams in the province?

Ensuring the polluter pays

In recent years, the Province somewhat improved its reclamation security policy and reduced public liability for mine site rehabilitation. But the public is still on the hook in some circumstances, and over 1800 historical mine sites in the province still need to be cleaned up.

After the Mount Polley mine disaster, the company responsible was not fined or penalized, and affected communities received no compensation. Environmental advocates are calling for an industry-pooled fund to clean up abandoned mines and pollution and compensate impacted communities.

Questions:

How would your government deal with the hundreds of historical mine sites littering the province? 

Would your government support an industry-pooled fund to support communities impacted by mining disasters or pollution?

 

Broadening the conversation for transition minerals

A sustainable energy transition must be built on a foundation of responsible mining that can secure supplies of metals and minerals in innovative ways, by recycling, reusing, reducing overall demand, and re-mining tailings.

Question:

What would your government include in a “critical minerals” strategy to protect water and reduce risks from mining during the energy transition?

 


Nikki Skuce is co-chair of the BC Mining Law Reform Network, and Director of the Northern Confluence Initiative based in Wet’suwet’en territory in Smithers, BC. 

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