Quebec Mining
Submission ID: SEM-09-004
Party concerned: Canada
Date filed: September 3, 2009
Submission Status: Closed
Latest Update: November 19, 2009
The thirty-day term expired without the Secretariat receiving a submission that conformed to Article 14(1). Under guideline 6.2, the process was therefore terminated.
Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:
The Submitters assert that Canada, and more specifically the province of Quebec, is failing to effectively enforce: Quebec’s Mining Act: the Regulation Respecting Mineral Substances other than Petroleum, Natural Gas and Brine: and, the Sustainable Development Act, all in connection with the financing and environmental management of remediation and redevelopment of mining sites in Quebec.
In Submission SEM 09-004 (Quebec Mining), the Submitters assert that follow-up plans for the remediation and redevelopment of mining sites are lacking, there are irregularities in the payments of financial guarantees set aside for the remediation of Québec mining sites, and that management of access to information is poor. The Submitters also assert that the Auditor General found that Quebec paid C$264 million to clean up mining sites abandoned by their owners, while $16 million in statutory owner guarantee payments, which normally must be added to the overall liability, have not been accounted for. Regarding public participation and public disclosure requirements, the Submitters refer to the principles of the Quebec Sustainable Development Act and further assert that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife has ceased to publicize information on the mining industry.
Names and citations of the environmental laws in question:
Quebec's Mining Act: the Regulation Respecting Mineral Substances other than Petroleum, Natural Gas and Brine: and, the Sustainable Development Act.
Submitter(s):
The Quebec Environmental Law Centre (Centre québécois du droit de l'environnement-CQDE) and Nature Québec
Submission Timeline
The Secretariat received a submission and began a preliminary analysis of it under the guidelines.
Annex - Other document authored by Individual or entity named in Submission on 14/05/2009
Annex - Other document authored by Individual or entity named in Submission on 01/09/2009
Annex - Other document authored by Individual or entity named in Submission on 14/05/2009
Annex - Other document authored by Individual or entity named in Submission on 03/09/2009
Annex - Other document authored by Individual or entity named in Submission on 31/12/2007
Acknowledgement - Communication to Submitter(s) authored by Secretariat on 04/09/2009
Other Documents - Communication to Submitter(s) authored by Secretariat on 08/09/2009
Submission - Submission authored by Submitter(s) on 03/09/2009
The Secretariat notified the submitter(s) that the submission did not meet all of the Article 14(1) criteria and the submitter(s) had 30 days to provide the Secretariat with a revised submission that conforms with Article 14(1).
Determination - Secretariat Determination under Article 14 (1) authored by Secretariat on 20/10/2009
The thirty-day term expired without the Secretariat receiving a submission that conformed to Article 14(1). Under guideline 6.2, the process was therefore terminated.