Brief

IGF Case Study: Regulatory Continuous Improvement

Lessons from British Columbia's new statutory audit function's application to mine tailings facilities

This IGF case study describes the new audit function to evaluate the effectiveness of the mining regulatory framework in British Columbia.

By Andrew Rollo, Emily Quinn, Allan Young on April 13, 2022

The purpose of this publication is to describe this new auditing function within the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC).

The authors detail its development, implementation, and preliminary lessons learned from the first audit, to provide an example to other jurisdictions that are looking at their own efforts for more effective regulatory frameworks.

This case study provides the context for Audit Unit development as informed by lessons learned from the 2014 Mount Polley Tailings Storage Facility breach, a 2016 audit by BC’s Auditor General, and substantial research and engagement. These events informed dramatic changes to the Ministry's structure and the creation of several new work units.

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