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ARTICLE · 07 JULY 2020

B.C. Proposes Amendments To Mines Act

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On June 22, 2020, British Columbia introduced amendments to the Mines Act. The proposed amendments formalize the separation of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources'

CanadaEnergy and Natural Resources
Bennett Jones LLP
Bennett Jones LLP
Sander Grieve
Sander Grieve
Claire Lingley
Claire Lingley
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On June 22, 2020, British Columbia introduced amendments to the Mines Act. The proposed amendments formalize the separation of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources' (EMPR) permitting and compliance functions, establish an independent oversight unit, and further enhance compliance and enforcement.

The proposed amendments adopt a number of the recommendations of the Mining Jobs Task Force and the May 2016 Office of the Auditor General for B.C. (OAG) report on the EMPR's and the Ministry of Environment's (MOE) compliance and enforcement.

Proposed Amendments to the Regulations

Structural Separation of Regulatory Functions

Currently, the Chief Inspector of Mines is responsible for both permitting decisions and for health, safety, and enforcement. The proposed amendments will create a new position of Chief Permitting Officer (CPO). The CPO will be responsible for permitting decisions. The delivery of permitting responsibilities will be coordinated

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