B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman has begun the NDP government91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渞estore public trust91裸聊视频� in decisions made on natural resource projects.

91裸聊视频淭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,91裸聊视频� Heyman told the legislature Monday.

91裸聊视频淒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.91裸聊视频�

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 Greens91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频渃onfidence and supply91裸聊视频� agreement to support the NDP government.

91裸聊视频淚 think we need to rebuild the trust in B.C. in terms of the kinds of decision-making that happens around our resource sector,91裸聊视频� Furstenau said.

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Heyman said professional organizations are in favour of the change, and it would be a 91裸聊视频渧ery, very rare91裸聊视频� for the new superintendent to overrule one of the professional organizations.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙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,91裸聊视频� Heyman said.

The Association of B.C. Forest Professionals issued a statement calling the legislation 91裸聊视频渁 missed opportunity91裸聊视频� that doesn91裸聊视频檛 change environment and land use policies.

The foresters 91裸聊视频渟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,91裸聊视频� CEO Christine Gelowitz said. 91裸聊视频淲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.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淐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,91裸聊视频� Heyman said. 91裸聊视频淏ut frankly that91裸聊视频檚 speculative on my part.91裸聊视频�

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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