Principles and Goals of The
Whitehorse Mining Initiative *
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Principles and Goals of The
Whitehorse Mining Initiative *
The Mining Association of Canada took a suggestion for a multi-stakeholder process to the mines ministers of all senior governments at its annual conference in Whitehorse in September 1992. Representatives of five sectors of society-the mining industry, senior governments, labour unions, aboriginal peoples, and the environmental community-agreed to participate. A Political Accord was signed on 12 September 1994 endorsing the following principles and goals. The provinces of Newfoundland, Quebec, and Alberta and the Assembly of First Nations did not sign the accord.
Overlap and Our Principle
Duplication
Elimination of unnecessary
regulatory duplication and overlap,
with appropriate checks and
balances, will aid the effective
protection of the environment and
achieve greater efficiency in
regulating the mining industry.
Our Goals
To continue to establish cooperation agreements among
jurisdictions for the development, administration, and
enforcement of environmental standards to improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of the regulatory system
and to reduce the unnecessary industry regulatory
compliance costs.
To streamline the permitting and compliance processes
to minimize the time and costs to meet the
requirements of the various regulatory regimes.
To develop processes such that each new mining project
is subject to single timely environmental assessment
by an appropriate single lead agency, which results in
only one set of recommendations that meet the
requirements of all junsdictions.
Environmental Our Principle
Protection
Environmentally responsible mining
exploration, development,operations,
operations and public policies are
predicated on maintaining a healthy
environment and, on closure,
returning mine sites and affected
areas to viable, and, wherever
practicable, self-sustaining
ecosystems that are compatible with
a healthy environment and with
human activities.
Our Goals
To ensure minimal environmental impact during mining
exploration, development, and closure by voluntary and
regulatory means, including the use of appropriate
environmental effects monitoring.
To ensure that comprehensive reclamation plans that
return all mine sites to viable, and, wherever
practicable, self-sustaining ecosystems are developed,
and are adequately financed, implemented, and
monitored in all junsdictions.
To ensure that the responsible governments maintain a
balanced regulatory framework
To ensure that the responsible governments maintain a
balanced regulatory framework for mine reclamation
that is stable over time, harmonized across
jurisdictions, and based on standards that meet the
needs of a sustainable society. And that changes to
the framework be made through a measured,
consultative, and predictable process with appropriate
phase-in periods.
To develop techniques through interdisciplinary
research that minimize or prevent adverse
environmental impacts, and that return disturbed sites
to viable, and, wherever practicable, self-sustaining
ecosystems.
To provide a regime for mine reclamation financial
assurances at current and future mines which ensures
adequate funds for full reclamation and a means of
financial assurance that is reasonable, flexible and
responsible.
To establish in each jurisdiction an acceptable means
of identifying responsible parties to undertake
reclamation of old mine sites that pose a health,
safety, or environmental problem.
To establish in each jurisdiction funding means for
reclaiming old mine sites where responsibility cannot
be assigned. Reclamation should begin with those sites
posing the greatest risk.
To encourage the exploration of old mine sites which,
if successful, may lead to potential environmental
clean-up opportunities through redevelopment.
To ensure the development of site-specific reclamation
standards which, wherever practicable, work toward the
establishment of the onginal ecosystem but which, when
justified by specific circumstances, take into account
the possible need for on-going management and the
possibilitv of other desirable uses.
Planning and Our Principle
Environmental
Assessment Environmental assessment is an
essential tool for identifying
potential environmental impacts of
proposed projects, determining their
acceptability, and evaluating
potential mitigation and remediation
measures, thus enabling economic
activity to proceed while
safeguarding the health of the
environment.
Our Goals
To ensure that project-specific environmental
assessments are effective, efficient, and well
defined, and are conducted in the broader context of:
- an integrated land-use planning process, and
- government policies and programs.
To ensure that the terms of reference and scope of
environmental assessments are ecologically relevant
and are decided upon early in the process.
To have environmental assessment processes which are
formally structured, credible, balanced and fair.
*Principles and goals concerning business climate, financing, taxation, government services, and attracting and retraining skilled workers are excluded.