Nova Scotia

N.S. minister could override owners who don't want uranium exploration on their land

Nova Scotia’s natural resources minister has confirmed that he could step over property owners to grant land access to companies on the hunt for uranium, but he said he isn’t keen to do so.

Tory Rushton says negotiations between companies, landowners would have to happen before he'd intervene

A man in a suit sits at a desk with a micrphone in front of him and Canadian and Nova Scotia flags behind him.
Nova Scotia Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton has invoked a legal provision to allow for mineral exploration on private land once before. (Patrick Callaghan/CBC)

If a Nova Scotia landowner doesn't want uranium exploration to happen on their property, does no mean no? 

Nova Scotia Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton has confirmed that he could step over property owners to let companies hunt for uranium, but he said he isn't keen to do so.

"Right now we're encouraging landowners and the researchers to have the conversations, that's where it needs to start," Rushton told reporters Thursday following a cabinet meeting in Halifax.

Earlier this year, the Progressive Conservative government lifted a long-standing ban on uranium exploration and extraction. Two weeks ago, it put out a call for companies to explore in three areas with known uranium deposits

Rushton has previously said that landowners have to agree, but he is now acknowledging that a rarely used legal clause could be applied if parties can't come to a deal.

"They would have to prove to me that they've had the negotiations … before we'd ever intervene," Rushton said.

WATCH| Property owners 'stunned' to learn their property could be explored for uranium:

N.S. residents stunned to learn uranium hunt could be on their land

9 days ago
Duration 2:18
The province announced earlier this month it would allow uranium exploration in three areas. Most of those areas are on private land. The CBC's Frances Willick spoke with some of the affected property owners.
 

Intervened once before

Rushton has invoked Section 26 of the Mineral Resources Act once in his four-year tenure as natural resources minister. A mining company asked the province last year to intervene to allow for lithium exploration on a property in southwest Nova Scotia, and Rushton granted the request in January.

He said in that case, the landowners and mining company were in negotiations that had reached a stalemate.

That's the only time the Houston government has used the provision. It had been used just one other time in the past two decades.

"This is not something that we're looking at to be [used] on every case," Rushton said.

He said he hopes landowners will want to know what's under their land, not just for the sake of mining but for their own health. Natural uranium deposits can leach into groundwater, including drinking water, and they can release radon into buildings.

Opposition calls for more clarity

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Rushton needs to be more clear about when he would intervene.

"There are going to be a lot of conversations where a company approaches someone and says, 'I want to use your land,' and the landowner says, 'No,'" she said.

"I don't think that's going to be an extraordinary event."

Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said if he were minister, he would never invoke Section 26, and he hopes Rushton won't either.

He said "consultation is key" for avoiding conflicts as the province pushes for more resource development, but he said the government has been lacking on that front.

Mombourquette pointed to local officials and landowners not receiving notice before the province opened bids for uranium exploration, and Mi'kmaw leaders not being consulted before fracking and uranium bans were lifted.

The province is expected to announce details of exploration permits for uranium this summer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Taryn Grant

Reporter

Taryn Grant covers daily news for CBC Nova Scotia, with a particular interest in housing and homelessness, education, and health care. You can email her with tips and feedback at taryn.grant@cbc.ca