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Canada’s quest for critical minerals has led to an astonishing promise: The federal government says it can slash the time it takes a proposed mine to get through the regulatory review process from 12 to 15 years – to just five.
Without access to a supply of pixie dust or a time machine, this commitment will demand a phenomenal amount of goodwill and co-operation from industry, First Nations and the provinces and territories.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, wants to clear the obstacles to developing critical minerals that are needed for electric vehicles and wind turbines, including cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium and nickel.
There are many regulatory reviews – both specific permits and the broader environmental assessments – needed to determine if a new mine can be built. Mr. Wilkinson is proposing to conduct those reviews simultaneously, instead of sequentially. In addition, he wants to boost regulatory funding to cut processing backlogs, and he says Canada is prepared to spend more on infrastructure, roads and transmission lines, to support proposed new mines that target the minerals Canada wants most.
For the rest of this editorial column: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-a-critical-push-to-speed-up-mine-approvals/