Does regulation delay mines? A timeline and economic benefit audit of British Columbia mines
Seeking to capitalize on a surge in global demand for critical minerals, the Canadian mining sector claims that regulatory processes like Environmental Assessment (EA) impede and delay mining’s economic benefits. This paper investigates whether regulation has delayed mining projects and how much eco...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | FACETS |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0083 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850247175546601472 |
|---|---|
| author | Rosemary Collard Jessica Dempsey Youssef Al Bouchi Nathan Bawaan |
| author_facet | Rosemary Collard Jessica Dempsey Youssef Al Bouchi Nathan Bawaan |
| author_sort | Rosemary Collard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seeking to capitalize on a surge in global demand for critical minerals, the Canadian mining sector claims that regulatory processes like Environmental Assessment (EA) impede and delay mining’s economic benefits. This paper investigates whether regulation has delayed mining projects and how much economic benefit mines have delivered in British Columbia (BC), focusing the mines’ performance post-EA. We audit the 27 mines granted an EA certificate in BC since 1995 and projected to open by 2022, comparing each mine’s forecasted and actual timelines and economic benefits (production, employment, and taxes), and identifying publicly-stated reasons for any mine delays. Seven of the 27 mines opened on time: 13 remain non-operational, and of the 14 mines that have operated, seven were delayed. Regulation was cited as a factor in only three of the 20 delayed projects; economic factors like commodity prices were the most common cause of delay. Lack of data and transparency on economic benefits significantly constrained our benefit audit, but BC mines for which data are available are underperforming across production (−77%), employment (−82%), and tax revenue (−100%). These findings suggest economic underperformance and mine delays post-EA are common, with delays typically resulting from economic factors, not government regulations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c06e3b8a8cbf4ea2bbf7f61782a0860e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2371-1671 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | FACETS |
| spelling | doaj-art-c06e3b8a8cbf4ea2bbf7f61782a0860e2025-08-20T01:59:00ZengCanadian Science PublishingFACETS2371-16712024-01-01911210.1139/facets-2024-0083Does regulation delay mines? A timeline and economic benefit audit of British Columbia minesRosemary Collard0Jessica Dempsey1Youssef Al Bouchi2Nathan Bawaan3Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University, Robert C Brown Hall, 8888 University Dr. East, Burnaby, BC V5A1S6, CanadaDepartment of Geography, University of British Columbia, 1984 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z2, CanadaDepartment of Geography, University of British Columbia, 1984 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z2, CanadaDepartment of Geography, University of British Columbia, 1984 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z2, CanadaSeeking to capitalize on a surge in global demand for critical minerals, the Canadian mining sector claims that regulatory processes like Environmental Assessment (EA) impede and delay mining’s economic benefits. This paper investigates whether regulation has delayed mining projects and how much economic benefit mines have delivered in British Columbia (BC), focusing the mines’ performance post-EA. We audit the 27 mines granted an EA certificate in BC since 1995 and projected to open by 2022, comparing each mine’s forecasted and actual timelines and economic benefits (production, employment, and taxes), and identifying publicly-stated reasons for any mine delays. Seven of the 27 mines opened on time: 13 remain non-operational, and of the 14 mines that have operated, seven were delayed. Regulation was cited as a factor in only three of the 20 delayed projects; economic factors like commodity prices were the most common cause of delay. Lack of data and transparency on economic benefits significantly constrained our benefit audit, but BC mines for which data are available are underperforming across production (−77%), employment (−82%), and tax revenue (−100%). These findings suggest economic underperformance and mine delays post-EA are common, with delays typically resulting from economic factors, not government regulations.https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0083miningenvironmental assessmentcritical mineralspredictive auditeconomic benefitsBritish Columbia |
| spellingShingle | Rosemary Collard Jessica Dempsey Youssef Al Bouchi Nathan Bawaan Does regulation delay mines? A timeline and economic benefit audit of British Columbia mines FACETS mining environmental assessment critical minerals predictive audit economic benefits British Columbia |
| title | Does regulation delay mines? A timeline and economic benefit audit of British Columbia mines |
| title_full | Does regulation delay mines? A timeline and economic benefit audit of British Columbia mines |
| title_fullStr | Does regulation delay mines? A timeline and economic benefit audit of British Columbia mines |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does regulation delay mines? A timeline and economic benefit audit of British Columbia mines |
| title_short | Does regulation delay mines? A timeline and economic benefit audit of British Columbia mines |
| title_sort | does regulation delay mines a timeline and economic benefit audit of british columbia mines |
| topic | mining environmental assessment critical minerals predictive audit economic benefits British Columbia |
| url | https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0083 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rosemarycollard doesregulationdelayminesatimelineandeconomicbenefitauditofbritishcolumbiamines AT jessicadempsey doesregulationdelayminesatimelineandeconomicbenefitauditofbritishcolumbiamines AT youssefalbouchi doesregulationdelayminesatimelineandeconomicbenefitauditofbritishcolumbiamines AT nathanbawaan doesregulationdelayminesatimelineandeconomicbenefitauditofbritishcolumbiamines |