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Changes to mining in B.C.

Last updated on January 16, 2025

The B.C. government remains committed to using best practices and continuous improvement to ensure a safe, environmentally sound and prosperous mining sector. To support this commitment, considerable changes have been made to B.C.'s mining regulatory framework. This work was completed in response to:

B.C.'s commitment to ongoing continuous improvement will be upheld as new information, reports and recommendations come available.

Overview of changes to oversight and updates to regulation

 

New roles and responsibilities to support transparent and responsible decision making

The Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals has...

  • Separated compliance and permitting roles by creating the role of the chief permitting officer. This change ensures that permitting decisions are separated from compliance and enforcement decisions
  • Established the Mines Investigations Unit to enforce regulations
  • Established the Mines Health, Safety and Enforcement Division to provide regulatory oversight through the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code
  • Appointed a standing Code Review Committee that includes membership from Indigenous groups, industry groups and worker representatives with the primary objective of reviewing B.C.'s mining regulations in light of evolving trends to ensure strong protection of health, safety and the environment
  • Established an independent chief auditor and Mine Audits Unit to regularly review the mining regulatory framework and evaluate its effectiveness
 

Overhauled legislation and regulations to focus on safety, environmental protection and enforcement

Mining projects can only succeed with support from First Nations and local communities

  • Mine operators are required to collect community input through collaboration with First Nations and public engagement activities

Mining operators are accountable for safety and environmental protection

  • Environmental assessment now includes assessing cumulative environmental effects (PDF) across projects
  • Throughout the entire mine life cycle, operators must comply with B.C. government requirements and the rights and laws of First Nations governments
  • Mine operators must follow new requirements for dams and tailings storage facilities (TSFs)
  • Mine operators are responsible for the cost of reclamation and closure. In fact, they must pay financial security up front to cover all costs to safely close and remediate a mine site
 

Updated how compliance and enforcement activities are conducted

Across the natural resource sector, B.C. is working to improve the effectiveness of enforcement actions to support operators and make sure they stay in compliance.

  • Hired and trained more compliance inspectors
  • Established and formalized partnerships between First Nations, the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals, the Ministry of Environment and Parks, the Environmental Assessment Office, and the Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship to oversee mine sites and adjacent lands by:
    • Coordinating inspection priorities
    • Sharing information about compliance concerns
    • Collaborating on training opportunities
    • Conducting joint inspections and “observe, record, report” for one another
  • Created the Accompanied Inspection Program (AIP) to expand engagement and partnership with First Nations through the inspection and monitoring process
  • Updated the process for monitoring, inspections and fines. For example, inspections are conducted more frequently at high-risk sites and fines for non-compliance have increased