Managing environmental risk in British Columbia

摘要

British Columbia is changing how it monitors and enforces the regulatory compliance of projects in its resource sector. The changes follow the May 2016 release of the auditor general of British Columbia's (AG) audit report on the Ministry of Energy and Mines' (MEM) and the Ministry of Environment's (MOE) compliance and enforcement activities in the mining sector. The report concluded that MEM's and MOE's monitoring and enforcement of the mining sector's regulatory compliance is inadequate to protect the province from environmental risks. The AG recommended substantial changes, including the creation of an integrated and independent compliance and enforcement unit for mining activities. The report's implications extend beyond the mining industry and will affect how the province regulates other resource industries.