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N.B. government amending rules for uranium mining and exploration |
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Written by Kevin Bissett, THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Friday, 04 July 2008 |
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FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick government is imposing new rules to help quell public fretting over the sudden burst of uranium exploration in the province, but critics say the measures don't go far enough and the Opposition is pushing for a full moratorium.
Natural Resources Minister Donald Arsenault announced Friday that uranium exploration and mining are no longer permitted in designated watersheds, in municipalities or within 300 metres of residential or institutional buildings.
The number of staked claims for uranium in New Brunswick has more than tripled in the last three years as the price of the radioactive mineral has risen along with renewed interest in green energy from nuclear power plants.
Earlier this year, some property owners were stunned to find stakes or flags on their private property as eager prospectors moved into residential areas.
At least four companies, including Toronto-base Vale Inco, are searching for uranium in the province.
On Friday, the minister said all mining claims activity on private land will be suspended for several months until the changes are implemented and the province will also introduce an online map-staking system.
"Landowners will still have to give permission for mining companies to come on their land," the minister said.
Arsenault said the regulations are retroactive, which means any previous claims within the newly restricted areas are now void.
Opposition member Carl Urquhart said the measures are too timid.
"New Brunswickers don't want uranium mining," he said. "They don't want any kind of uranium exploration in the province."
Urquhart represents the Harvey area in southwest New Brunswick, where there are significant uranium deposits.
He said the changes do nothing to protect people in rural areas like his, and the elimination of claim ribbons only hides the issue.
"They can stake their claim online," he said. "It's like a covert operation."
Environmental groups in New Brunswick are calling for an immediate ban on uranium exploration.
Representatives from about 30 organizations recently signed a statement calling for a no-uranium mining policy, similar to moratoriums already in place in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
In Nova Scotia, regulations require mining exploration to stop if uranium concentrations of greater than 100 parts per million are detected at a site.
In New Brunswick, recent information sessions with concerned landowners in the Fredericton and Moncton areas turned into emotional protests as government officials were shouted down by local residents.
Premier Shawn Graham has said he understands the concerns, but doesn't want regulations on uranium prospecting like those in Nova Scotia, which he says stand in the way of efforts to find other deposits such as gold, copper and lead.
Meanwhile, David Plante of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters said the mining companies can live with the changes in New Brunswick.
"We do recognize that there is a great deal of anxiety out there surrounding this uranium issue, and what we see here is a step by government to address these concerns," he said.
Arsenault said while the provincial government plans to put more teeth in the Mining Act to protect the public, there has to be a balance because of the importance of the mining sector to New Brunswick's economy.
Mineral production in New Brunswick reached nearly $1.6 billion last year, with the province collecting almost $126 million in mineral taxes.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )
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