Bill C-69 and its potential to affect new mine development

摘要

In February the federal government tabled Bill C-69, legislation to replace the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012), introducing changes that have the potential to affect the licensing of new mining and other natural resource developments that fall under the current federal environmental review process. The permitting of projects that require both federal and provincial approvals represents a worst case scenario for mine permitting in Canada. For instance, there is the potential that projects currently regulated only by provinces, such as potash developments, will end up captured by the federal process. We can expect an increase of these as more operations are captured by the revised, and likely expanded, Regulations Designating Physical Activities, all of which will require a new federal Impact Assessment (IA).