Thresholds of Reviewable Projects
BC Mining Issue:BC’s legislated EA thresholds do not always match the potential environmental or social impacts of proposed mining activities.
Fair Mining Best Practice:Require EAs for all mining activities regardless of size or production capacity.
In BC, current EA legislation does not require all mining activities to undergo an Environmental Assessment. EAs are only mandatory for those mines that exceed the legislated EA threshold.
In BC, all projects that meet the following thresholds must submit an EA application:
- New projects (and modifications to existing projects) where the mine will have the production capacity greater than 75,000 tones / year or mineral ore.
This threshold has increased by 300% from BC’s former EA Act
- Modification that will result in the disturbance of either 750 acres of land not previously permitted for disturbance; or an increase of at least 50% of the area permitted for disturbance.
The threshold of former legislation was 250 hectares or 35% of the original mine.
These modifications to BC’s former EA Act means that smaller-scale, but still significant mining activities, are no longer required to undergo an EA before being permitted.
As a result, BC’s legislated EA thresholds do not always answer to the potential environmental or social impacts of proposed mining activities.
EA thresholds should therefore be changed to require EAs for all mining activities regardless of size or production capacity.
First Nations and local governments should also be empowered to request an EA for a non-reviewable project and legislation should mandate more public involvement in designating and exempting reviewable projects should also be legislated.
The Nunavut Impact Review Board considers whether the proposed project:
- will have adverse effects on the ecosystem and the socio-economic lives of northerners;
- will cause public concern or involve technological innovations for which the effects are unknown.