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Mine reclamation and the British Columbia environmental assessment process

British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium; University of British Columbia. Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering

Major mining projects in British Columbia are subject to review through the Environmental Assessment (EA) process as a means of ensuring the potential for adverse environmental, social, economic, health and heritage effects or for adverse effects on asserted Aboriginal interests or rights are addressed prior to an EA Certificate decision. Two stages in the EA process provide for a structured review that confirms appropriate information, including conceptual reclamation plans, is in an application for an EA Certificate. There are currently 20 mining projects in the EA process; 18 projects reviews have been completed through a typical EA review and certified since 1995. An informal review of recently certified mine projects found a number of common and pressing reclamation issues facing all mining proposals, whether they be metal, coal, aggregate or industrial mineral mining projects. However the importance of any given issue varies according to the type of project or the location and consequently, approaches to addressing the issues adapt to these variations. The EA process adds value to the planning for a project by ensuring a wide range of views, interests and rights are fully considered in establishing reclamation objectives and in the reclamation plans designed to achieve those objectives.

Conference Paper

application/pdf

2009-05-21

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/8043

Unreviewed

British Columbia Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation

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