T H E M I N I N G 201 9 ANN U AL R E P O R T 9 E N V I R O N ME N T C O MMI TTE E C ha ir M a r k Fre b e rg D i re c t o r Pe r m it t in g C l o sure T e c k R e so urc e s L im it e d T h e E n v i r o n m en t Co m m i t t ee a d d r es ses g en er a l en v i r o n m en t a l i ss u es a n d l eg i sl a t i o n a ffec t i n g t h e i n d u st r y I n 2 0 1 9 t h e E n v i ro n m ent C o m m i t t ee m et jo i n t l y w i t h t h e M A C Sc i enc e C o m m i t t ee i n Feb ru ary M ay an d O c t o b er C o m m i t t ee m ee t i n g s we r e au g m ent ed wi t h i n fo rm at i o n al we b i n ars an d b y wor k t h ro u g h t ask fo rc es T h e M A C Rev i ew s T ask Fo rc e fo c u sed i t s effo rt s o n t h e l eg i s l at i v e c h an g es p ro p o sed i n Bi l l C 6 8 am end i n g t h e Fi sh er i e s A ct an d Bi l l C 6 9 c reat i n g t h e I m p a ct A ss ess m en t A ct t o repl ac e t h e Ca n a d i a n E n v i r o n m e n t a l A s ses sm en t A ct an d am end i n g t h e N a v i g a t i o n P r o t ect i o n A ct t o c rea t e t h e Ca n a d i a n N a v i g a b l e Wa t er s A ct T h e M A C Bi o d i v ers i t y T ask Fo rc e was ac t i v e o n d ev el o p m ent s rel at ed t o t h e S p eci e s a t Ri sk A ct t h e M i g r a t o r y Bi r d s Co n v en t i o n A ct an d p ro t e c t ed spa c es T h e C o m m i t t ee c o n t i n u ed i t s wor k rel at ed t o ai r p o l l u t i o n c l i m at e c h an g e t h e C h em i c al s M an ag em ent P l an Fed era l E n v i ro n m ent al Qua l i t y Gu i d e l i n es t h e N at i o n al P o l l u t an t Rel ease I n v ent o ry E n v i r o n m en t a l E m er g e n ci es Re g u l a t i o n s 2 0 1 9 t h e M i g r a t o r y Bi r d s Co n v e n t i o n A ct an d t h e rev i ew o f t h e Ca n a d i a n E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t ect i o n A ct T h e C o m m i t t ee eng ag e d wi t h o ffi c i al s o f E n v i ro n m ent an d C l i m at e C h an g e C an ad a E C C C t h e C an ad i an Wi l d l i fe Serv i c e Fi sheri es an d O c eans C an ad a t h e I m p ac t A ssess m ent A g enc y T ran spo rt C an ad a an d N at u ral Resou rc es C an ad a R e v i e w s o f K e y E n v i r o n m e n ta l L e g i s l a ti o n T h e Sen at e E n erg y E n v i ro n m ent an d N at u ral Resou rc es C o m m i t t ee b eg an i t s rev i ew o f Bi l l C 6 9 i n Feb ru ary M A C m ad e a wri t t en sub m i ss i o n ap p eared b efo re t h e Sen at e C o m m i t t ee o n Feb ru ary 2 6 th an d c o n t i n u ed t o eng ag e wi t h Sen at o rs o n t h e i m p l i c at i o n s fo r t h e m i n i n g sec t o r o f t h e am end m ent s b ei n g c o n si d ered T h e Sen at e c o n c l u d ed i t s rev i ew o f t h e Bi l l i n M ay i n c o rp o rat i n g so m e 2 0 0 am end m ent s T h e H o u se o f C o m m o n s ac c ept ed o r m o d i fi ed m an y o f t h e Sen at e am end m ent s an d t h e fi n al Bi l l rec ei v ed Ro y al A ss ent o n J u n e 2 1 st T h e fi n al v ersi o n o f t h e I m p a ct A ss ess m en t A ct I A A i n c o rp o rat ed m o st o f t h e c h an g es so u g h t b y M A C an d av o i d ed t h e m o st u n d esi rab l e c h an g es t h at h ad b e en u n d er c o n si d erat i o n H o we v er t h e Bi l l d i d n o t rem o v e m an d at o ry rev i ew p an el s fo r u ran i u m p ro jec t s an d d i d n o t m an d at e a l at er C o m i n g i n t o Fo rc e T h e p ro v i si o n s fo r t h e earl y p l an n i n g p h ase rem ai n ed l arg el y i n t ac t T h e earl y p l an n i n g p h ase i s i m p o rt an t t o t h e fu n c t i o n i n g o f t h e I A A I f we l l i m p l e m ent ed i t wou l d i m p ro v e c o o rd i n at i o n wi t h p ro v i n c i al assess m ent s an d wi t h i n t h e federal g o v ern m ent i m p ro v e I n d i g eno u s eng ag e m ent an d p u b l i c p art i c i p at i o n i n assessm ent s an d t ai l o r assessm ent s t o eac h p ro jec t T h e I A A c am e i n t o fo r c e o n A u g u st 28 th I n ad d i t i o n t o wor ki n g o n t h e t ex t o f t h e A c t M A C sub m i t t ed c o m m ent s an d eng ag ed wi t h t h e A g enc y an d t h e g o v ernme n t o n t wo d i sc u ssi o n p ap ers p u b l i shed o n M ay 1 st o n t h e P ro jec t L i st an d o n I n fo rm at i o n an d T i m e M an ag em ent Bo t h reg u l at i o n s we re p u b l i shed i n Ca n a d a Ga z et t e P art I I o n A u g u st 2 1 st an d are c o n si st ent wi t h M A C s c o m m ent s T h resho l d s fo r m i n i n g p ro jec t s we re rai sed an d t h e d i spa ri t y i n t h resho l d s b y t y p e o f c o m m o d i t y was redu c ed T h e c h an g es are p art i c u l arl y si g n i fi c an t fo r u ran i u m m i n es fro m 0 t o 2 5 0 0 t p d o re an d g o l d fro m 6 0 0 t o 5 0 0 0 t p d o re