After saying yes to one silica sand project this week, the Manitoba government is saying no to the Sio Silica sand extraction project, planned for the RM of Springfield.
The Alberta-based company planned to extract silica sand through more than 1,000 wells south of Vivian, Man., but was met with opposition — voted down by the municipal council twice.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the decision was Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt’s after analyzing data provided by experts, including a report by the Clean Environment Commission (CEC), and a consultation with impacted communities.
“After taking the time and doing our due diligence, our government has come to the decision that the risks of this proposal outweigh any potential benefits,” Kinew said, adding that the decision was made for health and environmental reasons.
Kinew said the CEC report pointed to a number of serious environmental concerns with the project, which would have extracted sand through aquifers that provide drinking water to 100,000 Manitobans.
“The technology that Sio is proposing to use is a new method of extraction. With this unproven approach, we cannot guarantee the safety of drinking water for future generations in this part of Manitoba,” Kinew said.
“We have a responsibility to ensure we are not endangering Manitobans’ drinking water,” Schmidt said. “This proposal failed to adequately consider long-term impacts including potential aquifer collapse. That’s why we made the decision to not issue a license for the Vivian sand extraction project.”
The CEC also heard from hundreds of Manitobans voicing their opposition to the project, including the community of Springfield, local leaders, scientists and environmental advocacy groups, she said.
Both Kinew and Schmidt said the government is committed to making sure critical mineral strategies ensure the safety of Manitobans.