Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy
Attn: Christopher Skeete, Minister for the Economy
710 Place D’Youville
6th Floor
Quebec City, Quebec G1R 4Y4
Phone: 418-691-5650
ministre.de@economie.gouv.qc.ca
Subject: Prospective brief on the Quebec Ministry of Economy's omnibus bill on regulatory relief to be introduced this fall
These comments are submitted to the Quebec Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy after consultation with our members and interested partners. They concern the annual omnibus bill on regulatory relief announced by the Quebec government. Our discussions with the office of the Minister for the Economy indicate that the omnibus bill is expected to be tabled during this fall's parliamentary session.
We also know that the Association minière du Québec (AMQ) has shared its comments on regulatory relief with the Minister in recent months. More recently, the Association de l’exploration minière du Québec (AEMQ) shared its thoughts on the subject in an open letter. We therefore hope to make a positive contribution to your deliberations ahead of the tabling of the omnibus bill by suggesting measures to adopt and those to discard with regard to the legal framework for the mining sector.
We emphasize our findings that the government's administrative approach to governing mining activities is not the main reason for the delays preceding the start of deposit exploitation, and suggest instead that current measures be tightened to further weed out doomed mining projects that unnecessarily bog down the government apparatus. Furthermore, we reiterate the fact that consensus in Quebec is strong on the importance of ensuring all mining projects remain subject to environmental assessments, and we highlight the counterproductive examples set by the federal government and the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia in terms of accelerating mining projects, which can lead to serious risks, hazards, and accidents for the environment, the rights of Indigenous peoples and the safety of workers, and can cause forced shutdowns of operations, reducing the profitability of mines. Finally, we reiterate our recommendations not to adopt a legal exemption mechanism specifically allowing the mining company Ressources Falco to escape the strict application of section 197 of the Clean Air Regulations.
Regardless of the administrative measures devised, we must remember that minerals are non-renewable resources that leave lasting mining waste on the land in exchange for insufficient and temporary economic benefits. We believe that we cannot leave it to future generations to make decisions that will determine their future when we have the opportunity to make those decisions now.
For more information:
- Rodrigue Turgeon, lawyer, M.S.V.D., J.D.
- Co-director of the national program, MiningWatch Canada
- Co-spokesperson for the Coalition Québec meilleure mine
- 4 Florence Street, Suite 210, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0W7 | www.miningwatch.ca
- rodrigue@miningwatch.ca