Sio Silica files new environmental license application with less drilling, smaller mining area in Southeastern Manitoba

Calgary-based mining company Sio Silica has applied for a second environmental license to extract silica sand near Vivian, following the provincial government’s denying its first attempt last year.

The new proposal reduces the number of mining wells and the extraction area’s size to address concerns previously raised, according to company documents filed with Manitoba’s Environment and Climate Change public registry on Oct. 28. The NDP government refused its application in February 2024, after the public took issue with the potential impacts of mining to drinking water.

“This new Project has been revised in consideration of the questions and concerns raised by the public, various Manitoba government departments and the CEC,” biologist Marlene Gifford said on behalf of Sio Silica in the application.

The application also had new measures to protect the aquifer’s water quality, including using UV light and filtration systems to treat water that’s extracted and returned to the ground. The application said mining activities won’t have “material impact” on the aquifer’s quality of ground water, and said it could be positive instead.

Sio Silica hopes to mine 500,000 tonnes of sand annually by the fourth year. In its original proposal, Sio Silica planned to drill 7,000 wells over 24 years, extracting more than 30 million tonnes of silica sand.

Despite the new application promising fewer wells being drilled, the mine still poses risks towards drinking water safety from the aquifer, said Janine Gibson, founding member of environment advocacy group Our Line in the Sand and Manitoba Green Party leader. She doesn’t believe there’s sufficient oversight for the proposal.

“It’s like all they care about is harvesting more resources and making more money, not about the quality of life of our citizens. And without clean water, we’re seriously at risk for health issues,” she said. “The more they mess with it (the aquifer), the more problems we’ll have.”

Long Plain First Nation, located 150 kilometres west of Vivian, signed a memorandum of understanding with Sio Silica to lead an Indigenous-controlled environmental review and consultation process for its proposed mine, an Oct. 31 press release said.

The First Nation will co-ordinate technical reviews, environmental analyses and community engagement for interested Treaty 1 Nations, under the MOU.

“Our Nation will always make decisions that protect our lands, waters, and the well-being of future generations,” said Chief David Meeches in the release.

Signing the agreement doesn’t signal Long Plain’s support for the project, but ensures transparency, scientific rigour and cultural grounding to assess the potential mine’s impact, the release said.

A public report summarizing findings and recommendations will be released after the review, with Long Plain retaining full discretion to suspend or end its participation if concerns arise or transparency standards are not met.

Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation voted against partnering with the new mining proposal.

Manitoba environment minister Mike Moyes said the proposal will be reviewed by the department’s technical advisory committee like any other company. The application is currently under review, and the public can voice any concerns during the process over the next 30 days, he said.

“We always want to ensure that there’s a rigorous environmental review of any type of project coming forward and we look forward to seeing what comes out of the technical advisory committee,” Moyes said.

He said there isn’t a firm timeline on when a decision will be made on the application.

Sio Silica president Carla Devlin didn’t respond to an interview request.

With files from the Winnipeg Free Press