By Kristen E. Courtney
The Toronto Star
Many of Ontario’s junior mining companies are struggling to catch up with the law this month as new regulations under the province’s century-old Mining Act have just come into effect.
According to Garry Clark, executive director of the Ontario Prospectors Association, many companies didn’t understand what the new rules required of them, which has resulted in some getting caught offside the law and abruptly having to halt exploration work.
Companies that didn’t obtain the necessary plans and permits now required by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines “have effectively had their exploration work shut down while they wait for these to go through… there are quite a few tied up in the process right now, and most of them are taking longer than 30 days,” says Clark, throwing off scheduling and costing companies more money.