CIM unveils new policy on environment

With sunshine and spring bursting out all over, this city proved to be an ideal setting for the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) to unveil its new policy statement on the environment.

This unveiling was the first major event of the 93rd annual general meeting of CIM from April 28 to May 1 in Vancouver. The policy statement set out certain basic principles for the Canadian minerals and petroleum industries, and was a strong endorsement of the concept of “sustainable development” introduced at the United Nations several years ago.

CIM President Peter Tarassoff said the new policy statement is oriented toward solutions that can be undertaken through the applications of research and development.

“As Canada’s minerals and petroleum industries approach the 21st century, they face challenges that have to do with global competitiveness, the relentless advance of technology and concerns for the environment,” he said. “The combination of the efforts of our members and positive action by the industries in which they work can be the cornerstone of change as we approach the year 2000.” As an example, the new policy encourages research into “more efficient extraction and use of mineral and petroleum resources in harmony with improved environmental protection.” It also asks members “to conduct their professional work in an environmentally responsible manner, in compliance with all applicable legislation and policies.”

Tarassoff’s views were echoed by William Stanley of Vancouver, who became president of the association on May 1.

The theme of this year’s conference was “new demands – new goals,” and in this vein, the plenary session on the first day of the conference featured some thought-provoking discussion on environmental and other issues among a diverse panel made up of politicians, academics and resource industry professionals.

Stephen Lewis, a former leader of the NDP party in Ontario who is now involved with the United Nations, challenged the industry to improve its environmental, and health and safety performance.

While Lewis’ pontificating on environmental doomsday scenarios set some people’s teeth on edge, he predicted rising oceans from the greenhouse effect will submerge countries like Holland and Bangladesh by 2050, few could argue his message that people want to participate in the decision-making process on resource development.

Lewis also appeared to be somewhat behind the times on health and safety issues as it is generally accepted that the mining and other resource industries have largely met those challenges in recent decades. The challenge now, almost every industry representative said, is meeting and exceeding public expectations on environmental performance.

Lewis also took the coal industry to task for its contribution to the greenhouse effect. But Giacomo Capobianco, president of the Coal Association of Canada, said coal is a fact of life for many developing nations as an energy source because it is abundant and widely located, and inexpensive to extract. And he called on advanced nations to transfer coal technology aimed at reducing emissions to less developed countries. The conference also featured a number of technical sessions and a trade show as well as social events.