Sonal Gupta, the National Observer

As Ontario moves to fast-track mining in the Ring of Fire, legal experts and Indigenous leaders warn that the province's rush to cut red tape could cause environmental destruction and a wave of lawsuits — potentially slowing the very development it seeks to speed up. 

The Ford government’s newly-tabled bill, designating “special economic zones” in northern Ontario, grants sweeping powers to exempt projects from provincial laws and municipal bylaws, while slashing approval timelines for mining, infrastructure and resource development — including in the Ring of Fire, which they say holds critical minerals for electric vehicle batteries and green-energy technology.

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