All mining projects and…

All mining projects and major mine-related infrastructure should be subject to comprehensive environmental assessment due to their size, potential risks to the environment and human health, and liabilities associated with the long-term storage of mining waste. The Environmental Assessment Act should be automatically applied to all major public and private sector undertakings, not just a select few as is being proposed here. Relying on “thresholds” or “triggers” is not a good way to assess whether a project should require environmental assessment. The length and size of a project are not adequate measures of risk posed to people and the environment. Better measures would be location, design, and operational plans. The public should have a say in all public or private environmentally-significant projects, and the best way to tell whether a project is environmentally significant is to assess it comprehensively.

I want to live in a province that ensures environmental safety and Indigenous rights. If any project is taking place on the traditional territory of an Indigenous nation, the proponent should be required to obtain free, prior, and informed consent from this community before moving forward. This process should be part of any good environmental assessment. I am upset that Bill 197 was passed with no opportunity for meaningful public input, and would like to remind the government of their obligations under the Environmental Bill of Rights.