Gross mining revenues in B.C. nearly doubled to $6.9 billion in 2007, up from just $3.6 billion in 2000.
Investment in mineral exploration was nearly $367 million in 2008, an almost 1,300 per cent increase over the 2001 investment level of just $29 million.
We tripled the amount of exploration spending attracted to B.C. In 2006, B.C. saw 18 per cent of Canada’s total exploration spending, up from 6 per cent in 2001.
60 per cent of Canadian exploration companies are based in B.C., raising $2.9 billion in equity capital – that’s approximately 40 per cent of the total equity capital for Canadian-listed exploration companies.
The number of mineral claims have increased by 786 per cent since 2001, from 0.587 million hectares to 5.2 million in 2008.
12 metal and coal mines have opened or reopened in B.C. under the BC Liberals.
In 2008, B.C. had 54 mines in production; 10 metal, 9 coal and 35 industrial mineral mines.
B.C.’s mining and minerals sector employed 28,000 people in over 50 communities in 2008. The average wage in B.C.’s mining industry is nearly $102,000, an increase of 26 per cent since 2001.
Today, more than half of all new mine development projects in Canada are located in B.C., yet mining impacts just 0.05 per cent of the province’s land base, a very small footprint.
B.C.’s mining industry is recognized as a world leader in environmental protection. Companies are now required by law to post a bond, and plan for closure, before the mine even opens.
Despite a significant increase in mining activity in the province since the 1990s, it is the safest heavy industry in B.C. The industry has improved its health and safety practices and the injury rate has decreased by over 40 per cent during the last 10 years.
Budget 2009 extends the B.C. Mining Flow-Through Share Tax Credit to the end of the year. This keeps the after-tax cost of $1,000 eligible grassroots exploration the second-lowest in Canada, helping to encourage continued interest and investment in B.C.
We’ve enhanced the Mining Exploration Tax Credit to 30 per cent (from 20 per cent) for exploration activities in mountain pine-beetle affected areas.
We extended the new mine allowance through 2016 (from 2010) to allow significant capital deductions for new or expanding mines.
The mining industry has benefited from our reduction of the corporate income tax by 33 per cent since 2001. Today the rate is 11 per cent, the second lowest in Canada, and we’re cutting it to 10 per cent by 2011. We also eliminated PST on machinery and equipment.
We established guaranteed timelines on the Environmental Assessment process so investors have certainty around timelines.
We’ve invested $31 million in Geoscience BC since 2001 - the largest investment ever in geoscience exploration – helping to identify new areas for mining in B.C.
We’ve committed $10 million to the environmental assessment process as the first step towards building the Northwest Transmission Line along Highway 37.
The Mining Association of B.C. estimates the Northwest Transmission Line could attract $15 billion in new investment and create 11,000 jobs in the region.
We created a new Minister’s Council on Mineral Exploration & Mining with representatives from industry and First Nations to recommend initiatives and policies to ensure a sustainable, responsible mineral industry in B.C.
Mine Worker Safety The BC Liberals believe that every worker deserves to work in a safe environment, and that is best achieved when government works in cooperation with industry and other partners to develop safety regulations that deliver real safety results with strong enforcement and stiff penalties.
B.C.’s mining industry is the safest heavy industry in the province.
Despite a significant increase in mining activity in the province since the 1990s, the industry has improved its health and safety practices and the injury rate has decreased by over 40 per cent since then.
Mine safety continues to be regulated by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources because mine inspectors have one area of expertise: mining, with specific knowledge in the industry and expertise with mining sites.
We revised the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in B.C. in March 2008, based on recommendations from the tragic accident at Sullivan Mine. Our amendments set a new standard to ensure the protection of workers and the public, from exploration through to mine development, closure and reclamation.
The amendments include adopting new reporting requirements for mine managers in the event of an accident or dangerous occurrence, and creating consistency with WorkSafeBC standards.
We’ve shifted the nature of mine safety inspection to a risk-based model where inspections are focussed on the most high-risk operations until they become low-risk operations.
We’ve embarked on an aggressive program in partnership with the Aggregate Producers Association of B.C. and the Construction Safety Network to ensure that aggregate workers are provided with requisite training and orientation.
All aggregate and quarry operations within B.C. must now disclose the number of new workers (under one year of experience) and provide assurances of training and orientation.
We increased support for the Mine Safety Awards to highlight the importance of mine safety.
Despite a significant increase in mining activity since the 1990s, the number of fatalities in B.C. is down to an average 1.83 fatalities per year (2001 to 2006). From 1991 to 2000, the average number of fatalities was 2.10.
The number of worker days lost due to injuries in 2006 is down 43 per cent from 2001.
Flathead Valley We believe the Flathead River basin is a unique ecosystem with significant environmental values that must be protected, and that any active mining requires extensive review and must meet rigorous environmental standards.
The area in question has historically seen logging, coal exploration, mineral exploration and other industrial activity. Currently, there is no major mining in the Flathead Valley.
Consensus-based land use planning determined that this area should be open for mineral exploration.
Cline Mining has a coal exploration project in the Flathead River Basin that is currently in the pre-application stage of the environmental process.
If the coal exploration project moves forward it would be subject to a full B.C. Environmental Assessment (EA) as well as the federal EA process.
B.C.’s EA process requires public consultation and ensures all projects meet the highest possible environmental standards.
We invited the U.S. state of Montana to participate in the EA process should the project move forward.
If the project enters the rigorous provincial and federal environmental assessment processes, it would only be approved if it was determined that it poses no risk to the environment.
Uranium Mining We do not support the exploration and development of uranium in B.C. because communities do not support nuclear power or developing radioactive material.
In April 2008 we established a ‘no registration reserve’ to ensure that no further acquisition of unclaimed uranium mining would occur in the province.
In March 2009, we acted to address pre-existing claims by obtaining an Order in Council that prevents the issuance of permits for the exploration of uranium or thorium.
These decisions are a logical expansion of the long standing energy plan policy of no nuclear power.
British Columbians have been clear that they do not support the mining of radioactive materials in B.C.
There has never been a uranium or thorium mine in B.C.
There were only 40 uranium claims registered prior to the establishment of the ‘no registration reserve’. The rest of BC boasts some 12,000 known and mapped mineralization areas to be explored.
Investment in mineral exploration was nearly $367 million in 2008, an almost 1,300 per cent increase over the 2001 investment level of just $29 million.
