Modern take on mining
Century-old mining laws in Ontario have left countless landowners and First Nations grasping for control of their own lands. In response, Ecojustice recently released a report with the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy offering long-needed legislative amendments to address flaws in the law.
Century-old mining laws in Ontario have left countless landowners and First Nations grasping for control of their own lands. In response, Ecojustice recently released a report with the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy offering long-needed legislative amendments to address flaws in the law.
“These remedies will end a century of needless conflict and finally
bring Ontario’s Mining Act into the 21st century,” said staff lawyer Justin Duncan.
The
current free-entry system is controversial because it allows
prospectors to claim rights to minerals under private property, public
lands and First Nations’ traditional territories.
These claims are staked, exploration occurs and mining can begin without any prior consent, permits or environmental assessment.
The
mining-friendly system also carries serious loopholes, with taxpayers
currently on the hook for an estimated half billion dollars to clean up
abandoned mine sites.
In his report, Duncan suggests the Mining
Act be fundamentally changed to require greater levels of consent,
land-use planning and environmental assessment.
You can read the report and give us your feedback here:
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