BILL 50

Uranium Moratorium Act

HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, enacts as follows:

Interpretation

1 The following definitions apply in this Act.

"claim area" means claim area as defined in the Mining Act. (superficie d'un claim)

"explore" includes searching for minerals by drilling, trenching, blasting or driving workings underground. (exploration)

"lease area" means lease area as defined in the Mining Act. (concession)

"mineral" means mineral as defined in the Mining Act. (minéral)

"mining commissioner" means the mining commissioner under the Mining Act. (commissaire aux mines)

"prospect" means prospecting as defined in the Mining Act. (prospection)

Mineral reserve and placer mining reserve

2(1) The Province of New Brunswick is designated as a mineral reserve and a placer mining reserve in respect of the mineral uranium.

2(2) No person shall explore for, prospect for, develop, mine or produce any mineral for its uranium content on the reserve created under subsection (1).

Discovery of uranium in samples

3(1) Subject to section 4, where, during the course of exploring for a mineral, uranium is encountered which, to the knowledge of the person who encounters it, has a quantity exceeding 0.5 kg of uranium for every tonne of mineral in place, no person shall explore for any mineral on

(a) the claim area, or

(b) the lease area

where the uranium in that proportion has been encountered.

3(2) A person who encounters uranium in the proportion referred to in subsection (1) shall report that fact in writing to the mining commissioner within 7 days after he or she learns that the mineral he or she has encountered has uranium that exceeds the proportion referred to in subsection (1).

Discovery of uranium in ore bodies

4 Where, in the course of developing a mine or producing a mineral from a mineral body, minerals with an average grade of .01% uranium by weight are discovered, the owner, manager or agent of the mine shall

(a) order all development and production to cease, and

(b) within 7 days, inform the mining commissioner that minerals containing uranium in that grade have been discovered.