PDAC e-News and Activities, June 24, No. 27
Page Index
Furthering
exploration interests in Ottawa
Moves towards improving DFO fish habitat policy and regulations
Ontario environmental
bill becomes law
Amendments to Canada
Mining Regulations
Australian research shows positive impact of mining
Geoscape Toronto a winner
Statistics
on aboriginal participation in mining
NRCan reports on
metals in soils workshop
Request for information on geoscience activities in Africa
Doors
Open event features Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
Furthering
exploration interests in Ottawa
On May 18 and 19, Executive Director Tony Andrews, Director,
Sustainability Philip Bousquet, and Geoscience Committee chairman
Richard Moore met with MPs and senior officials in the federal
government to advance the PDAC’s advocacy efforts. Meetings were held
with: Jim Prentice, Conservative MP and Critic for Indian Affairs &
Northern Development; John Duncan, Conservative MP and Critic for
Natural Resources; Lou McGuire, Chief of Staff to NRCan Minister John
Efford; and Hon. Ethel Blondin Andrew, Minister of State for Northern
Development. A meeting was held with officials at Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada to discuss the issue of mobility of
professional geoscience registration. Directors Dennis Jones and Ian
Thomson joined in by telephone at a meeting with officials at Foreign
Affairs and International Trade and Natural Resources Canada to discuss E3 Environmental Excellence in Exploration and
exploration issues in Latin America. The PDAC’s briefing notes prepared
for these meetings are available. Click here for copies.
Moves towards improving DFO fish habitat policy and regulations
A committee of Natural Resource Industry Associations (NRIA) and
Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) representatives has been
working towards increased efficiency in the implementation of DFO fish
habitat policy and regulations relating to resource industries. On May
19, Tony Andrews represented the PDAC at a meeting in Ottawa of NRIA
industry executives and DFO senior officials, including Deputy Minister
Larry Murray. The progress of the committee, of which the PDAC is a
member, was reviewed and a work plan approved for the next twelve
months. CEOs attending strongly supported DFO for launching this
initiative and encouraged the department to move towards implementing
the policy in regional DFO offices over the next few months. For more
information, contact Tony Andrews, aandrews@pdac.ca.
Ontario
environmental bill becomes law
The Ontario Environmental Enforcement Statute Law Amendment Act, 2004
(Bill 133) received Royal Assent on June 13. The accompanying
regulations are still to be drafted. The PDAC is a member of the
industry coalition that has been working to improve this legislation. The
coalition is requesting that its concerns, expressed during the
consultation period leading up to the passage of the legislation, be
taken into account in order to minimize the impact on the international
competitiveness of Ontario businesses and on Ontario’s attractiveness as
a location for investment.
Click here for the full text of the bill. For more information,
contact Philip Bousquet,
pbousquet@pdac.ca.
Amendments to
Canada Mining Regulations
Two sets of amendments to the Canada Mining Regulations are being
proposed. The first set, consisting of technical amendments, has been
issued. The second set will separate the Northwest Territories from
Nunavut so there can be separate regulations in the future. These will
affect claim work requirements for mineral tenure in the North. For a
summary of comments made on the first set, click here.
Australian research shows positive impact of mining
A new report by CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organization) and the University of Sydney reveals that some industries,
like mining, are more sustainable than is generally thought. Balancing
Act examines 135 industry sectors of the Australian economy and
quantifies the impact and contributions of each across ten social,
environmental, and financial indicators. According to co-author Barney
Foran, “Our work shows that, in terms of the triple bottom line, mining
actually has a more positive impact across environmental and financial
indicators than we would have thought.” Now the challenge for the
industry, says Foran, is for the mining industry to “embrace stewardship
of the entire metals cycle.”
Click here for the full report.
Geoscape Toronto a winner
Geoscape Toronto’s poster and school curriculum has won the Canadian
Institute of Planners 2005 Award of Excellence in the category of
environmental planning. The initiative was created by PDAC Mining
Matters project coordinator Laura Clinton, along with colleagues Victor
Doyle, a provincial planner, and Ken Steele, a geologist with the
Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. The group will
receive the award at a ceremony in Calgary in July. Congratulations!
Click
here for more details.
Statistics
on aboriginal participation in mining
An information bulletin from Natural Resources Canada on aboriginal
participation in mining indicates that, from 1996 to 2001, mining saw a
21% increase in its aboriginal workforce. The data are derived from a
census conducted in 2001. For more facts and figures,
click here. A list of agreements developed between mining companies and
aboriginal peoples can be found
here.
NRCan reports on
metals in soils workshop
The ninth issue of Update, published by the Minerals and Metals Sector
of Natural Resources Canada, reports on an international workshop on
metals in soils hosted by the sector. The publication also refers to new
gold extraction technology developed by the sector and provides links to
new minerals and metals publications available online.
Click here for the publication.
Request for information on geoscience activities in Africa
Natural Resources Canada (Earth Sciences Sector) is attempting to gather
information on the type of geoscience activities being undertaken in
Africa and is asking industry to help to provide the information by
completing an online survey. The data gathering is part of a study to
develop a strategy on Africa for the department. Among the aims of the
study are the supporting of Canadian private sector development and the
expansion of international trade and investment prospects. If you would
like to participate in the survey [which should take about 20 minutes to
complete],
click here.
Doors Open event features Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
Some 250 visitors came to the University of Toronto’s Mining Building
during Toronto’s Doors Open event on Saturday, May 28. A principal
attraction was the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. Past presidents Robert
Ginn and John Steele and Director of Communications Saley Lawton were
among the volunteers who showed visitors around and talked about the
achievements of the inductees in the Hall of Fame. The PDAC is one of
the four sponsors of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. |
