COMMENTARY — Lac de Gras and the environment

Land and self-government agreements with natives in the central Arctic should be made before diamond mining begins there, urges the Canadian Arctic Resource Committee (CARC).

CARC made its recommendations this month to a Federal Environmental Assessment Review Panel conducting public hearings into the environmental and socio-economic impact of BHP Diamonds’ proposed $750-million diamond mine near Lac de Gras, 300 km northeast of Yellowknife, N.W.T. The firm is controlled by Australian multinational Broken Hill Proprietary, and Kelowna-based Dia Met Minerals is a junior partner in the project.

“There are practical, moral and political reasons why these new arrangements should be negotiated as quickly as possible,” says Marina Devine, chairman of the public policy interest group, which has offices in Ottawa and Yellowknife.

According to CARC, unless land and self-government agreements are reached, natives are at a distinct disadvantage, in at least three respects: * they run the risk of becoming an “embittered minority,” as new residents, drawn by mining development, move into the region;

* they are not entitled to revenue from mining activity, even if the mine is literally in their backyard; and

* land-use planning that balances industrial development with conservation and resolves conflicts will not be implemented in the Northwest Territories.

The federal government has made it clear that natives will not be allowed to own land that has mining potential — a decision that, according to CARC executive director Terrence Fenge, contradicts a federal land claims policy. “This sets up a scenario for never-ending negotiations and continued uncertainty regarding ownership,” he explains.

The chairman of the panel agrees that BHP’s past environmental practices and policies should be taken into consideration as well. In Canada, BHP Diamonds is facing charges under the Fisheries Act for harming the habitat of fish during exploratory activities.

“In light of BHP’s questionable track record, it is important that this project, if it goes ahead, be closely monitored and firmly regulated,” says Devine.

The Lac de Gras diamond project is the first of several proposed mines in the central Arctic, and its review will set precedents for future mining development there.

— From a report released by the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee.