Types of Authorizations

Last updated on April 6, 2023

Mining activities often require multiple authorizations from across government. The table below provides information about common regulated activities related to mining and their associated Provincial authorization requirements.

This information is provided for convenience only, and users should confirm authorization requirements with Provincial staff prior to undertaking regulated works or activities. This table does not include authorizations required by federal or local governments. Note that decision making powers may be delegated in accordance with the applicable act.

Key Activities Requiring Authorization
Activity	Act	Authorization	Ministry	Decision Maker	Description
Ability to obtain authorizations for a reviewable project.	Environmental Assessment Act	Environmental Assessment Certificate	EAO	Minister	To obtain authorizations for a reviewable project. Required for any project that meets or exceeds thresholds or are otherwise designated.
Acquire and access mineral title	Mineral Tenure Act	Free Miner Certificate	EMLI	n/a	To explore for, acquire and maintain mineral titles and to access mineral title area.
Altering archeological site or removing materials	Heritage Conservation Act	Site Alteration Permit	FOR	Director	To alter or destroy an archeological site, or to remove materials from an archeological site, including culturally modified trees.
Assess the archeological significance of a site	Heritage Conservation Act	Inspection Permit	FOR	Director	To inspect a property for the presence of archaeological deposits, to assess potential impacts to archaeological deposits by a proposed development, to evaluate the significance of the site, and to provide enough information to formulate management recommendations for the site.
Camp construction	Mines Act HSRC	Mines Act Permit	EMLI	Chief Permitting Officer	Industrial camps must comply with the Industrial Camp Regulation of the Public Health Act and the HSRC of the Mines Act. Proponents should contact the Regional Health Authority and EMLI to determine necessary authorizations.
Camp construction	Public Health Act Industrial Camp Regulation	Industrial Camp Approvals	Regional Health Authority	Environmental Health Officer	Industrial camps must comply with the Industrial Camp Regulation of the Public Health Act and the HSRC of the Mines Act. Proponents should contact the Regional Health Authority and EMLI to determine necessary authorizations.
Changes in or about a stream or divert or use water	Water Sustainability Act	Water authorizations (various types)	FOR	Water Manager	To divert, use or store surface water or groundwater, or to make changes in and about a stream.
Clear trees to develop mineral/ coal title over 50 cubic metres	Forest Act	Occupant Licence to Cut	FOR	District Manager	To clear over 50 cubic metres of timber for exploration and mining activities on a mineral or coal title area.
Clear trees to develop mineral/ coal title up to 50 cubic metres	Forest Act	Free Use Permit	EMLI	Chief Permitting Officer	To clear up to 50 cubic metres of timber for exploration and mining activities on a mineral or coal title area. If a proponent is completing a notice of work, the free use permit is linked to this electronic application and will be generated as part of that process. If a person already has an exploration permit, they should submit a notice of work to amend the permit to include tree cutting.
Concrete production in a batch plant (permanent or temporary)	Environmental Management Act Concrete and Concrete Products Industry Code of Practice	Registration	ENV	Director	Registration is required for permission to discharge from manufacturing ready-mix concrete and concrete products. Requirements are set for air emissions and discharges of process water.
Connect, cross or use highway right of way or infrastructure	Transportation Act	Highway Use Permit	MOTI	Minister (delegated to staff)	To create access to a highway, to construct, repair or maintain works, or hold an event on or along a provincial highway right-of-way.
Construct and use a sewage disposal facility	Environmental Management Act Municipal Wastewater Regulation	Registration	ENV	Director	To construct and use an onsite sewerage system with discharges to water or 22.7m³/day or greater.
Construct and use a sewage disposal facility	Public Health Act Sewerage System Regulation	On-Site Sewerage Certification / Permit (Info on Regional Health Authority websites)	Regional Health Authority	Environmental Health Officer	To construct and use an onsite sewerage system with discharges under 22.7m³/day.
Construct and use road	Forest Practices Code of B.C.	Special Use Permit	FOR	District Manager	To construct and maintain mining access roads, including construction and maintenance of bridges and other drainage structures.
Construct, operate, close a mine	Mines Act	Mines Act Permit	EMLI	Chief Permitting Officer	To prepare, construct, operate and close a mine. The permit also sets out closure and reclamation obligations and security. Mineral or coal tenure is required prior to obtaining a Mines Act permit.
Cut and remove or destroy Crown timber	Forest Act	Occupant Licence to Cut	FOR	District Manager	To cut, or cut and removal, Crown timber from Crown land or private land. In all cases, the applicant must hold a right to occupy and use the land being harvested through a ”right of occupation", a lease, or a special use permit.
Dispose or incinerate refuse	Environmental Management Act Hazardous Waste Regulation	Registration	ENV	Director	Registration and application for a provincial identification number is required in order to produce, store, treat, recycle or discharge more than a prescribed quantity of hazardous waste.
Dispose or incinerate refuse	Environmental Management Act	Waste Discharge Permit or Short Term Approval	ENV	Director	To dispose solid wastes, including food wastes (e.g. to a landfill or composting facility) or to discharge air contaminants from incineration.
Exploration involving mechanical disturbance or excavation	Mines Act	Mines Act Permit (Notice of Work)	EMLI	Chief Permitting Officer	To conduct exploration activities on a mineral or coal title area, including ground excavation, drilling, processing, concentrating, waste disposal and site reclamation. Obtained through a Notice of Work application.
Food premises	Public Health Act	Health Operating Permit (Info on Regional Health Authority websites)	Regional Health Authority	Environmental Health Officer	To construct and operate food premises.
Occupy Crown land	Land Act	Tenure (various types)	FOR	District Manager	To occupy or use Crown land.
Open burning	Environmental Management Act	Waste Discharge Permit or Short Term Approval	ENV	Director	A permit or approval under the EMA is required for open burning operations which do not meet the requirements of the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation.
Open burning	Wildfire Act	Burn Registration Number	FOR	n/a	The Wildfire Act and the Wildfire Regulation specify legal obligations when using fire in (or within one kilometre of) forest land or grassland. A burn registration number is required for any fire larger than two metres high by three metres wide, three or more concurrently burning piles no larger than two metres high by three metres wide, one or more burning windrows, or stubble or grass burning over an area greater than 0.2 hectares. Proponents should review any current fire bans and restrictions.
Produce coal resources	Coal Act	Coal Lease	EMLI	Chief Gold Commissioner	To produce coal from a coal lease area above coal licence limits.
Produce mineral resources	Mineral Tenure Act	Mineral or Placer Lease	EMLI	Chief Gold Commissioner	To produce mineral ore or placer minerals from a lease area above claim limits.
Store and use explosives	Mines Act	Explosives Magazine Storage and Use Permit	EMLI	Chief Inspector of Mines	To store and use explosives. A permit must be obtained before a magazine is located, erected, built, put into service, or modified, or before carrying out any maintenance work including the installation of lighting or heating.
Store fuel	Environmental Management Act Petroleum Storage and Distribution Facilities Storm Water Regulation	Registration	ENV	Director	Any petroleum storage facility that has a cumulative storage capacity over 100,000 L, occupies a location for more than 180 consecutive days and is not a part of a retail service station is required to register. The regulation also outlines requirements for oil water separator systems and effluent quality.
Study or investigate an archeological site	Heritage Conservation Act	Investigation Permit	FOR	Director	To mitigate impacts to site through the recovery of data after an impact assessment is completed under an inspection permit, and when a site is determined to be too significant to go straight to an alteration permit.
Subsurface rights for coal resources	Coal Act	Coal Licence	EMLI	Chief Gold Commissioner	Grants subsurface rights and rights to explore for the coal resources within the coal unit. Production limit is 100,000 tonne samples for testing purposes.
Subsurface rights for mineral resources	Mineral Tenure Act	Mineral Claim	EMLI	Chief Gold Commissioner	Grants subsurface rights for the mineral resources within a cell claim. Production limit is 1,000 tonnes per year of ore from each cell claim. Bulk sample limit is 10,000 tonnes once every five years.
Supply drinking water	Drinking Water Protection Act	Construction and Operation Permits (Info on Regional Health Authority websites)	Regional Health Authority	Drinking Water Officer	To construct and operate a drinking water supply system.
Supply drinking water	Water Sustainability Act	Water authorizations (various types)	FOR	Water Manager	To divert, use or store surface water or groundwater, or to make changes in and about a stream.
Surface rights for mining activities on Crown land	Land Act	Tenure (various types)	FOR	District Manager	To occupy or use Crown land.
Waste discharges (air, effluent and solid wastes)	Environmental Management Act	Waste Discharge Permit or Short Term Approval	ENV	Director	To discharge air, effluent or solid wastes to the environment (short or long term).
Wildlife salvage and removal	Wildlife Act	General Permit	FOR	Regional Manager	To possess, trap or kill wildlife or destroy birds’ nests.

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Types of Authorizations