A tremor felt in parts of southeastern Saskatchewan Tuesday morning is suspected to have been caused by mining activity, according to Earthquakes Canada.
A 3.4 magnitude seismic event occurred around 7:04 a.m. local time in an area northeast of Esterhazy, Sask., according to the federal agency. Esterhazy is approximately 230 kilometres east of Regina.
Earthquakes Canada said moderate shaking started about one kilometre underground, and was triggered by human activity in the form of a “suspected mining-induced event.”
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In an emailed statement, Mosaic Canada confirmed that seismic activity was felt near its potash mine just outside of Esterhazy.
“The event occurred in a mined-out area of the older workings of the K3 Mine,” the statement from Mosaic said.
All roughly 1,200 Mosaic employees have been accounted for, and operations in Esterhazy are continuing as normal. No safety concerns remain as a result of the tremor, the company said.
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“Mining induced seismic activity in this area is common, and our facilities are engineered with seismic loading in mind,” Mosaic added. “We continue to advance our understanding of the geological properties of the K3 ore body and will work with external experts to review seismic activity.”
At the time of publication, 22 people reported having felt the tremor to Earthquakes Canada. It noted that details have been reviewed by the agency but have not yet been finalized.
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