Mining

Throughout BC, there are several controversial projects that need careful thought and evidence based review. The Green Party believes that we must reform the environmental assessment process to assure British Columbians that all development, including mining is done in the best interests of the province both now and into the future. Such a process should be freed from political considerations and it should not be subject to lobbying. Besides a fair ecological assessment, including cumulative impact studies from all projects within a region, the assessment needs to consider social, economic and cultural issues, including the rights and traditional use of the First Nations affected by the project. The assessment must also consider the long term impact of the proposed project including waste disposal, the impact on air and water quality and the capability, proposed process and financial capability of the proponent to remediate at the end of the mining operation, water and land usage and the protection of fish and animal habitat.

Because the BC Green Party believes that climate change must become a primary evaluative factor in assessing all projects, there needs to be a independent accounting of the expected GHG emissions from the life of the project. This accounting needs to include but not be limited to roads, transportation, facilities (building and on-going operations), decommissioning, energy usage and expansion.  As well, the Green Party believes that a true accounting for Greenhouse Gas emissions would mean we must assume a share of the GHGs that are emitted by the countries to which we ship our raw materials.