B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman has begun the NDP government香蕉视频直播檚 overhaul of oversight of resource projects, bringing forward legislation to set up a new superintendent to oversee engineers, biologists, foresters and other professionals who are currently self-governing.
Heyman said the change is required to 香蕉视频直播渞estore public trust香蕉视频直播� in decisions made on natural resource projects.
香蕉视频直播淭he initial stage of implementation would enable the office and its policy, guidance, investigation and enforcement functions and bring key provisions of the act into force, such as whistleblower protection,香蕉视频直播� Heyman told the legislature Monday.
香蕉视频直播淒uring transition these authorities would operate alongside existing governance statutes of five professional regulatory bodies, the agrologists, applied biologists, applied science technologists and technicians, engineers and geoscientists and forestry professionals.香蕉视频直播�
Changing the law was a key demand of B.C. Green Party MLA Sonia Furstenau, who won election in Cowichan Valley after a protracted battle over a contaminated soil site in an old rock quarry near Shawnigan Lake. No contamination of the lake was ever identified, but the operations lost its licence over technical issues, including provision of financial security in the event of a breach or cleanup.
The changes are a condition of the Greens香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播渃onfidence and supply香蕉视频直播� agreement to support the NDP government.
香蕉视频直播淚 think we need to rebuild the trust in B.C. in terms of the kinds of decision-making that happens around our resource sector,香蕉视频直播� Furstenau said.
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Heyman said professional organizations are in favour of the change, and it would be a 香蕉视频直播渧ery, very rare香蕉视频直播� for the new superintendent to overrule one of the professional organizations.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e streamlining and making more efficient the oversight of the five professions through their regulatory bodies, and ensuring that public expectations of qualification, ongoing professional development, release of information in the public interest and dealing with issues of ethics and conflict of interest are foremost in our legislation,香蕉视频直播� Heyman said.
The Association of B.C. Forest Professionals issued a statement calling the legislation 香蕉视频直播渁 missed opportunity香蕉视频直播� that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 change environment and land use policies.
The foresters 香蕉视频直播渟tressed the need for government to clearly define values, clarify desired results, set objectives and values, and establish a hierarchy of objectives on the landscape,香蕉视频直播� CEO Christine Gelowitz said. 香蕉视频直播淲ithout those tools, forest professionals are left trying to balance numerous competing and varied expectations by disparate groups with differing values and competing interests on the land.香蕉视频直播�
Asked if the additional oversight would have changed anything at Mount Polley mine, where legal actions continue over the failure of a tailings pond dam in 2014, Heyman was cautious.
香蕉视频直播淐learly if this legislation and requirements had been in place prior to the Mount Polley incident, and a number of years back, we might have had a different result in terms of the kinds of reports that were issued,香蕉视频直播� Heyman said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut frankly that香蕉视频直播檚 speculative on my part.香蕉视频直播�
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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