R8. Set standards for selecting, monitoring and evaluating mining projects in order to promote control and transparency in public communication
p. 192-193
Texte intégral
Rationale
1This is a matter of importance for the public authorities and involves overseeing future mining projects to ensure that they comply with standards and to do so at every stage, from applications for exploration permits through to post-operational work. It requires the authorities take action and impose penalties if rules are breached. Secondly, public disclosure of the results of monitoring and evaluation is key to public policy: it helps build trust among residents and enables them to react on informed basis.
Timeframe
2Depending on the choices made as to whether or not to develop the industry (from R1 to R3), all the required procedures will have to be implemented rapidly. Monitoring work then becomes part of the long-term deep-sea mining policy with the implementation of on-going monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
Proposed actions
- Define the standards for social and environmental impact studies to the end of the projects. These studies must be funded by the industry and yet remain independent, calling on a panel of experts. Option 1: the industry conducts the study but the procedure is approved by the mines departments and the results approved by independent experts (notion of outside opinions and third-party expertise); option 2: the study is conducted and approved by public agencies and/or independent experts.
- Introduce a reporting obligation for all exploration work up to and including the feasibility study. The benchmark procedure in this respect is the Canadian national instrument NI 43-101.
- Develop an impact mitigation strategy during the feasibility study, as stipulated in the mandatory environmental management plan: this includes protecting adjacent areas and sources for repopulating affected areas (using a network or chequerboard operating approach). See also R5 for spatio-temporal monitoring before, during and after mining. Funding must be set aside in advance for this measure and the related guarantees only released once post-operational “safeguarding” measures have been approved.
- Plan environmental rehabilitation (equivalent to replanting on land) as well as monitoring and removal of all materials (post-operational work).
- Implement a compensation policy: define the form it will take (ecological, monetary, direct or indirect compensation) as well as the beneficiaries and follow-up arrangements.
- Launch calls for exploration projects in line with project selection procedures and criteria that take CSR best practices on board.
Constraints and conditions
3Existing regulations (especially the environmental code and mining code, once it has been updated) and current or planned regulatory instruments (managed or protected marine areas) must be taken into account. The applicable international standards vary during the project cycle: procedure NI 43-101 applies to projects from the exploration phase (for which it is possible to assume a limited environmental impact, aside from the noise produced) up to and including the feasibility study, whereas only soft law mechanisms (non-legally binding instruments in the form of recommendations or guides to best practices) concerning companies’ social and environmental responsibility apply during the operating phase.
Connections with other recommendations
4R8 assumes that mechanisms R3 and R7 have been implemented and is part of the broader context of R9.
Reference to full contributions
5II-4; IV-4
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