Coordinated authorizations

Mines Act permit applications that are particularly complex may be referred to the coordinated authorizations process. These projects follow a highly structured permitting process and are coordinated by the ministry by an assigned project lead.

The coordinated authorizations process strives to reduce time, expense and risk while supporting durable decisions by decision makers. A project may be referred to the coordinated authorizations process by the Chief Permitting Officer (CPO). There are three different routes for a project to come into the coordinated authorizations process:

• Any new mineral or coal mine project, whether or not reviewable under the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA)
• A mine project that is an extension, expansion, or re-start requiring multiple authorizations (especially under both the Mines Act and the Environmental Management Act (EMA))
• Any project that the CPO determines would benefit from the coordinated authorizations process due to its complexity

The coordinated authorizations process is defined by four overarching stages: pre-application, screening, review, drafting and decision. 

Mine review committees (MRCs) are a key part of the coordinated authorizations process. By bringing together multiple ministries, Indigenous nations, federal and local governments, and other reviewers, MRCs increase efficiency and effectiveness by reducing duplication of effort and by focusing on the project as a whole. The MRC is an advisory committee and does not have any decision-making authority.