Why is uranium ignored in the new Mining Act?

NEWS RELEASE

UNION OF ONTARIO INDIANS

************************* First Nation leader says Ontario Mining Act neglects uranium issues

CUTLER, ON - Chief Isadore Day, Wiindawtegowinini of the Serpent River and Lake Huron treaty commissioner is not totally convinced that changes to the Ontario Mining Act released on April 30 are dealing with all the important issues. “We are not seeing uranium exploration and development issues being swept under the rug.”

Serpent River First Nation is located on the northern shores of Lake Huron and is located due south of Elliot Lake Ontario which was once coined as the “Uranium Capital of the World.”

This, says Chief Isadore Day, is the elephant in the middle of the room on all of this activity with respect to changes to the Ontario Mining Act.

“Uranium is such a critical discussion and Ontario and Canada are showing no responsible collaboration during this process.”

“We are home to a major lake basin that has been historically impacted by radio active mineral waste from spills and run-off from mine tailings between the 1950s and the 1990s,” says Chief Day, “It concerns me a great deal that Ontario refuses to acknowledge that uranium mining needs special triggers within the act that explicitly define, determine, and direct appropriate requirements as it pertains to uranium exploration.”

It has been well over a year now since the First Nation has taken a default position in saying “no” to uranium mineral exploration or development.

The community seeks the appropriate process to substantiate its claims that their territory has been far too impacted by uranium mining and that obvious mortality has occurred as a result of uranium activities in their traditional and treaty lands.

Currently, Serpent River First Nation is eagerly working out an arrangement where the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines has put a meager amount of financial resources on the table to work out details of a “pre-consultation” process on uranium mining developments and exploration.

We have been pressing hard on the ministry to have Ontario recognize the need to assess current conditions of lands from historical mining activity, specifically on lands impacted by uranium mining.

Also we want to know what the capacities of a First Nation for being “consultation-ready” and what specific consultation process and provisions will be in place and agreed upon by all parties to engage a fair process.

Day says that the “pre-consultation” mechanism speaks to a gap that exists in the current understanding of the duty to consult that rests with the Crown.

The First Nation is further taking this position because it believes there is disconnect between provincial regulations on uranium mineral exploration and federally regulated jurisdictions on production and waste management of uranium.

This legislative gap between jurisdictions will mean huge problems should industry wish to proceed in the future.

“It is clear that there is a need for harmonization triggers that ensure there is a responsible and consistent thread of due diligence between Canada and Ontario," says Day, “It is very discouraging to watch two governments work in a silo mentality on such a major issue that has extreme environmental concerns attached.”

Chief Isadore Day, also the Lake Huron treaty commissioner, says: “Minister, the window of opportunity is open for dealing with uranium in the Ontario Mining Act.”

Chief Day also wants Ontario to know that consultation thresholds will increase in months and years to come as Ontario and Canada are called to deal with Treaty Implementation.

“In this case, Ontario needs to know that Treaty First Nations in Ontario are not a one-community-based consultation horse and pony show. Uranium mineral exploration and developments will be scrutinized and called to task by the collective of First Nations in the Robinson Huron Treaty.”

Chief Day calls on the McGuinty government to sit down with treaty representatives and deal directly with the lack of response and focus on uranium in the changes to Ontario Mining Act.

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