MONTREAL - Upcoming provincial legislation that would change the rules of mineral exploration has irked the Quebec Mineral Exploration Association (AEMQ) which has assailed Bill 14.
The association is upset with the bill, claiming that it would destroy a mineral agreement that is the envy of the world. It has consulted lawyers to see if the law would be in violation of the Canadian Constitution.
The association is particularly bothered by the government's plan to hand over mineral exploration management to 1,200 municipalities.
It accuses the province of abandoning its responsibility of managing Quebec's natural resources. They say that the municipalities have already started demanding mineral royalties.
AEMQ President Jean-Marc Lulin argues that the policy will make the province less competitive and could inhibit the progress of the Northern Plan.
Lulin says that current mineral management methods have had a sparkling track record overseeing health, safety and environmental issues since the AEMQ began its involvement at its inception in Rouyn-Noranda in 1975.
