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Public notice
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9. (1) Before prospecting for minerals in or on any area of land, the Minister shall give public notice in accordance with this section that the Minister intends to prospect for the minerals concerned and shall consider any objection that meets the requirements of subsection (3).
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(2) The Minister shall, for the purposes of subsection (1)—
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(a) deposit in the offices of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and in one or more places to which members of the public have access that are in the vicinity of the area to be prospected, a map showing the boundaries of that area, and
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(b) publish in at least one newspaper circulating in the vicinity of the area to be prospected a notice stating that—
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(i) the Minister intends to prospect for certain specified minerals,
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(ii) a map showing the boundaries of the area to be prospected may be viewed at the places at which the map has been deposited in accordance with paragraph (a), and
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(iii) the public may send written objections that meet the requirements of subsection (3) to the Minister at an address specified in the notice.
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(3) The Minister shall consider only those objections that—
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(a) are in writing and have been delivered to the address specified in the notice under subsection (2)(b) within 21 days after the date of publication of the notice, and
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(b) relate to entering on land or prospecting for minerals and that do not relate to working the minerals or compensation for working the minerals.
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(4) If the Minister is required to consider one or more objections in accordance with subsection (3), the Minister shall respond to the objections within 90 days after the date of publication of the notice under subsection (2)(b).
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