The Manitoba government has ordered a public hearing on a proposed mine in Springfield Rural City that will extract silica for fracturing.

Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard announced that the Clean Environment Committee will hold a public hearing on the proposed silica sand extraction project. 

The project was proposed by CanWhite Sands Corp. in Calgary. Wells located on RM private land will remove water and silica sand from groundwater in different locations.

Silica sand is often used in hydraulic fracturing or fracturing, a method of extracting natural gas. It can also be used in glass manufacturing, water filtration, golf courses and construction.

The date and location of the public hearing have not yet been announced. The province said in a press release that the location will be “in line with the affected communities.” 

Guillemard also ordered CEC to conduct a technical review of the project and provide comments and suggestions on potential environmental impacts. 

She said in the press release that no environmental permit decision will be made until the review and hearing are completed.

Comments from members of the public and the technical advisory committee on the project are published in the provincial public registry. Some comments from residents in the area expressed concern about the project’s potential impact on well water.

The company stated on its website that it minimizes the impact on water resources through water management practices and improved water efficiency.

According to the notice from the provincial government, the water in the silica sand slurry brought from the well will be separated from the sand on site, treated with ultraviolet light, and pumped back into the well. 

The silica sand is then transported to the previously proposed sand treatment facility.

Last year, Steinbach Carillon reported that the director of the Provincial Government’s EIA Office had written to CanWhite saying that there was no need to hold a public hearing on the treatment facility.

A spokesperson for the provincial government stated that the proposal is separate from the mining project.

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