Government has released a discussion paper in preparation for a review of the Mineral Resources Act.

“A modern and effective Mineral Resources Act will improve Nova Scotia’s competitive position and further support an ‘open for business’ environment for mineral exploration and mining in the province,” said Natural Resources Minister Zach Churchill. “The revised act will adopt principles of sustainability and strike the right balance between protecting the interests of communities and the rights of landowners and mineral rights holders.”

The Mineral Resources Act is legislation that establishes the rights and obligations around the responsible development of Nova Scotia’s geological resources. It was last reviewed in 1990.

“A formal review and consultation process will begin in early January,” added Mr. Churchill. “However, we wanted to make our discussion document available this month so that Nova Scotians have time to consider their contributions to our review.”

The review of the Mineral Resources Act will address several key areas including land access, royalties, reclamation and bonding, and community engagement, although the complete act and regulations are open for comment and review.

Nova Scotians can access the discussion paper and the current Mineral Resources Act online at http://www.novascotia.ca/natr, or by calling 902-424-8186.

Source: Release