Regulatory Affairs
Once funds have been raised, and land staked, companies need to secure the necessary licenses and permits required prior to undertaking exploration and development activities. This ensures that governments have an opportunity to track industry activity and exercise appropriate oversight over potential impacts on the environment as well as Aboriginal and treaty rights. Regulatory regimes can be complex and cumbersome, however, due to:
- The organizational model and processes adopted by the relevant regulatory bodies
- Inadequate resources for the regulatory bodies, leading to delays in processing applications
- Politically induced delays in the regulatory process
PDAC works in partnership with regional associations to advocate for improvements to the regulatory regimes governing mineral exploration and development, with our support ranging from the provision of informal advice to formal participation on Ministerial Advisory Committees.
In addition, PDAC monitors and advocates for changes to federal regulations affecting mineral exploration and development, including the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Fisheries Act.