Uranium

Extensive revisions to Ontario’s Mining Act were approved by Queen’s Park on October 21, 2009, and received royal assent a week later. The new Act follows commitments made by Premier McGuinty to “modernize” the Act and strike a balance between the diverse interests that are affected by and involved in the sector. Though another round of consultations took place as part of the legislative process while the bill was under Committee review, few substantive changes have been made since the bill was introduced in the spring.

On November 3, 2009, the Nova Scotia government passed a bill called the Uranium Exploration and Mining Prohibition Act. The purpose of the act is to “prohibit exploration for or mining of uranium in order to protect the health and safety of Nova Scotians and the quality of their environment.” MiningWatch commends the government of Nova Scotia for taking the initiative to legislate the moratorium that has been government policy since 1981.

MiningWatch has applied to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency for funds to participate in the review of the environmental assessment of Quebec’s most advanced uranium project. The Matoush Project is located in north-central Quebec near Mistissini, 550 km north of Montreal and within the area covered by the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement between the Quebec Cree and the federal and provincial governments.

One of MiningWatch Canada's fundamental principles is that mining activiities, including exploration should only occur with the support of local communities. Our uranium policy also calls for a moratorium on new uranium projects.

In early December Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, along with our Neighbours, Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation entered into mediated negotiations with Ontario to resolve the underlying issues that led to direct action at the Robertsville site. While Ardoch cannot speak for Shabot Obaadjiwan, Ardoch Algonquin people entered into the negotiation process with cautious optimism that this process might lead to actual discussions that would address the illegitimacy of the mining claims and land use permits issued by Ontario's Mining and Northern Development and Natural Resources.

"State of Mine, An Investigation of Canada's Extractive Industries", a special edition of The Dominion Newspaper, was published in November 2008 and is now available online.

MiningWatch Canada takes the position that there should be a total moratorium on uranium exploration and new uranium mines across Canada. The conditions that would alter this position are stringent and unlikely to be met by the industry any time soon, if ever. MiningWatch Canada will continue to support communities seeking to clean up existing contamination and/or trying to monitor and enforce the strictest protective measures at uranium mine and mill sites.

[News release] Ontario should amend the Mining Act to provide for consultation with First Nations when granting mining claims and leases and stop treating public lands as freely open to mineral exploration, according to Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, Gordon Miller.