Public pushes back against government bill that would lift N.S. ban on uranium mining, fracking

Michael Gorman · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 17, 2025 6:21 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

There was thing lazy astir a erstwhile government's determination to prohibition fracking successful Nova Scotia, MLAs heard connected Monday.

Multiple presenters to the legislature's committee connected nationalist bills said the Houston government's program to assistance the prohibition connected uranium exploration and mining and the moratorium connected fracking for onshore gas, arsenic projected successful the omnibus authorities Bill 6, should not hap without robust nationalist consultation — if it happens astatine all.

For respective months, Premier Tim Houston has said broad bans connected assets improvement are the effect of lazy authorities argumentation and unit exerted by peculiar involvement groups that, to date, neither the premier nor anyone from his authorities has been consenting to identify.

• Nova Scotia authorities measure would assistance prohibition connected fracking, uranium exploration

• Premier Tim Houston unveils propulsion for much earthy assets improvement successful Nova Scotia

But a fig of presenters took purpose astatine that assertion connected Monday, peculiarly erstwhile it comes to fracking.

Barbara Harris, a subordinate of the Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition, noted that the moratorium by a erstwhile Liberal authorities followed enactment by an autarkic adept sheet that included extended technological review, nationalist consultation and input that resulted successful a bulk of the nationalist supporting the moratorium.

"The authorities this authorities wants to repeal grew retired of these studies," Harris told the committee.

"It was not a lazy oregon cowardly nationalist argumentation process."

'Pretty good unthinkable'

The antheral who led that review, erstwhile Cape Breton University president David Wheeler, precocious told CBC News that the erstwhile Liberal authorities "badly mishandled" the record by not pursuing done connected his recommendations for further probe and consultation.

Wheeler said the lawsuit for fracking could beryllium made connected the ground of smaller risks being managed by regulations, but since his study was published a decennary ago the satellite has "woken up" to the menace of clime change, helium said.

"So I deliberation it's beauteous good unthinkable that it would marque consciousness for Nova Scotia to revisit the exploration and improvement of shale state astatine this point."

Houston has said projects would not proceed unless it was demonstrated they could beryllium achieved safely.

Tina Northrup, a lawyer with East Coast Environmental Law, told the committee it's been hard to reconcile the "divisive rhetoric" the premier has utilized portion advocating for greater earthy assets extraction with his calls for the state and state to travel unneurotic successful the look of the threats posed by tariffs from the United States government.

As respective different presenters did Monday, Badia Nehme with the Ecology Action Centre took purpose astatine the deficiency of nationalist consultation up of the tabling of Bill 6. Nehme noted the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs has besides expressed interest astir the process.

"It is not lazy policy-making to consult Nova Scotians connected matters which impact our wellness and our environment. It is not immature to see adept investigation commissioned connected behalf of the authorities oregon to respect the Mi'kmaw people."

Nehme called for the 2 moratoriums to stay until a ceremonial nationalist consultation, an autarkic adept reappraisal and First Nations consultation instrumentality place.

"Until this is done, the authorities simply does not person a mandate from the nationalist to arbitrarily assistance these bans."

Ken Summers, who lived successful the Noel, N.S., country erstwhile trial wells were being fracked years ago, said it didn't look similar a large woody portion it was happening. But erstwhile operations ceased, problems started happening with discarded ponds near down by the process that utilized ample volumes of h2o mixed with chemicals.

"Nova Scotia was wholly unprepared for dealing with fracking discarded and there's nary grounds that we've learned thing since then," helium told MLAs.

One presenter did talk successful favour of lifting the prohibition connected uranium exploration and mining.

Sean Kirby, enforcement manager of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia, said overmuch has changed successful the mining manufacture since a erstwhile provincial authorities brought successful the prohibition successful the 1980s.

Missed opportunities

The manufacture is palmy successful Saskatchewan and contributes to the system portion enjoying sizeable nationalist support, helium said.

Ending the prohibition present would let exploration to find if deposits are economically viable to excavation portion improving the information the state has astir the resource, said Kirby.

He said reports by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission amusement the hazard erstwhile associated with uranium mining is overmuch little present owed to modernized approaches.

"Clearly, determination is nary health, information oregon biology crushed to prohibition uranium mining," helium told the committee.

Witness grounds is scheduled to proceed connected Tuesday.