Copyright (

c) Queen's Printer,

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

License

Disclaimer

1997 Legislative Session: 2nd Session, 36th Parliament

FIRST READING

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

MR. SYMONS

BILL M 205 – 1997

URANIUM MORATORIUM ACT

HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of British

Columbia, enacts as follows:

1 The Mineral Tenure Act is amended by adding the following section:

Uranium Moratorium

17.1

Interpretation

(1) In this

section

"chief inspector" means the Chief Inspector of Mines under the Mines Act ;

"mineral" means mineral as defined in the Mineral Tenure Act ;

"mining property" means mineral lands as defined in the Mineral Tenure Act and

includes a Crown-granted 2 post claim;

Mineral reserve and placer mining reserve

(2) (

a) The Province of British Columbia is designated as a mineral reserve and a

placer mining reserve in respect of the mineral uranium.

(

b) No person shall explore for, develop, mine or produce any mineral for its

uranium content on the reserve created under subsection (a).

Discovery of uranium in samples

(3) (

a) Subject to

section 4, where, during the course of exploring for a mineral,

uranium is encountered which, to the knowledge of the person who

encounters it, has uranium in a quantity exceeding 0.5 kg of uranium for

every tonne of mineral in place, no person shall explore for any mineral on

(

i) the mining property, or

(ii) the land covered by a placer lease

where the uranium in that proportion has been encountered.

(

b) A person who encounters uranium in the proportion referred to in

subsection (1) shall report that fact in writing to the chief inspector within

7 days after he/she learns that the mineral he/she has encountered has

uranium that exceeds the proportion referred to in subsection (1).

Discovery of uranium in ore bodies

(4) Where, in the course of developing a mine or producing a mineral from a mineral

body, minerals with an average grade of .01% uranium by weight are discovered,

the owner, manager or agent of the mine shall

(

a) order all development and production to cease, and

(

b) within 7 days, inform the chief inspector that minerals containing uranium

in that grade have been discovered.

Commencement

2 This Act comes into effect on Royal Assent.

Copyright © 1997: Queen's Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada