New Nunavut water regulations aimed at easing resource development

Nunavut has new water regulations, which federal officials say “will encourage investment in Nunavut.”

The new Nunavut Waters Regulations under the Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Right Tribunal Act are now in force, Bernard Valcourt, minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, announced May 2.

The new regulations make it possible for some mining projects to use and get rid of waste water without a water license.

But they also establish the minimum threshold for a project’s use of water and-or deposit of waste without applying for a licence.

They also simplify rules on the use of water and deposit of waste, set up additional water management areas, and aim to improve spill reporting and record keeping.

Ryan Barry, the executive director of the Nunavut Impact Review Board, said the regulations had been outstanding requirement for a long time, since the Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Right Tribunal Act was passed in 2001.

Barry called the new regulations “a positive move towards further regulatory certainty.”

Valcourt said the measures “improve the conditions for investment in and development of the North’s resources in a sustainable manner” — a theme echoed by Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq who said “the new regulations we’re introducing will encourage investment in Nunavut.”