News item. Premier Bill Bennett talks with the press about the preservation of B.C.'s natural resources. There is to be a seven-year "blanket" moratorium on uranium mining and exploration, for the sake of safety. He says that it is not economically necessary to develop B.C.'s uranium resources, and that nuclear power is not part of the government's energy strategy. Dr. Bates' report on uranium mining will be ready in three months. Finance Minister Evan Wolfe says that the inquiry has cost $2 million to date. Uranium mining interests will receive "fair" treatment, but not necessarily financial compensation. Health Minister Bob McClelland backs up the Premier's points.

The series consists of unedited footage on 58 video cassettes and were made by Fred Easton and the B.C. Legal Education Project, a project funded jointly by the Federal Department of Justice and the Legal Services Society. The project's purpose was to record the community hearings of the British Columbia Royal Commission on Uranium Mining, and to produce a one-hour video documentary. The video material includes footage of commission members making on-site inspections of active uranium exploration sites (V1988:50/44-48), and of the September 1979 press conference at which the commission released its first interim report (V1988:50/58). There are also interviews with commission chairman David Bates (V1988:50/23), Environment minister Rafe Mair (V1988:50/52-53), and Health minister James Hewitt (V1988:50/49-51).

This series consists of records regarding the Royal Commission of Inquiry, Health and Environmental Protection, uranium mining created and used by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources from 1977-1981. Records include reports, correspondence, and copies of transcripts and submissions from the commission.

These records are under the mineral resources ORCS (Schedule 105086) number 30500-02.

The item is a video copy of the proceedings of the Bates inquiry (Royal Commission of Inquiry, Health and Environment Protection, Uranium Mining).