Unearthed worries: Frack sand mine in Manitoba draws ire from neighbours

A massive frack sand mine proposed along the east shore of Lake Winnipeg is digging up environmental concerns fromneighbours.

Don Sullivan said adverse health and water quality issuesmust be evaluated before as much as 26 million tonsof sand is unearthed from what may become one of the largest frack sand mines inNorth America.

"The health risks that come with these fine, particulate silica sandthey'redangerous and they'redeadly, and that's both for the workers and the communities who live around it," said Sullivan, who lives near the proposed development around 200kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, close to Seymourville.

Sullivan, founder of the newly launched What the Frack Manitoba group, isconcerned that exposure todust from sand processingmay lead to silicosis, a lung disease.

Sullivan saidofficials mustconsider where the vast sums of water needed to wash the sand will come from and how it'llbe treated.

Plus, he's worried about clearingsome 200 acres ofterrainfor the open pitand the wear and tear on the province's roads from heavy trucks hauling the sand.

Costs must be considered: Sullivan

"There's going to be benefits,there's no doubt, there's going to be jobs," Sullivan said of the project. "But there's also going to be substantial costs andthose costs have to be weighed against the benefits."

He's calling on the province to institute apublic panel review of thedevelopment, relying upon public input and independent expertise for insight.

"Anything less is insufficient," said Sullivan, who helped the province garner UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for theboreal forest straddling the Manitoba-Ontario border.

A 2014 technical review for the projectstates the company, now named Canadian Premium Sand, candig for nearly26 million tons of silica sand deposits.

The aggregate wouldbe shipped by truck to Winnipeg and transported by rail throughout the continent. Theresource is necessary fordrillers fracking for oil and gas.

An October news release from the company archived on the Alberta Securities Commission's website states that a sample drilling is expected to be completed by the end of November, which will be followed by a report detailing "this sand resource play" before year-end.

"Claim Post is pleased to report that the Company is on track both operationally and corporately with its plan to develop this significant surface tier 1 sand deposit," executive chairman Lowell Jackson said in the Oct. 3 statement.

Claim Post started trading under its newname,Canadian Premium Sand, earlier this monthaccording to an archived news release.

The company did not immediately respond Monday for a request for comment.

NDPenvironment critic Rob Altemeyeris callingon the governmentto seek public input immediately.

As members of Hollow Water First Nation, which is adjacent to the development,looked on from the gallery, Altemeyerpressed the government during question period Monday to launch a consultation processthat he argues should have been underway months ago.

Environment minister Rochelle Squires said the province is waiting on the company to submit its environmental applicationbefore the province's review takes place.

Duty to consult

Altemeyer said the provincial government had a duty to consult much earlier, as does the Crown, which is obligated to speak withHollow Water First Nation.

"It's a huge proposal. Itcould have major detrimental impacts on the environment, on the localFirstNation andnearby residents and this governmenthas dropped the ball on doing the proper consultations," he said outside of question period.

The province said in a statement the project must undergo a complete environmental assessment and licensing process, where any and all concerns will be evaluated.

"The province is working to ensure the licensing requirements and approvals process consider the impacts to local communities and respect the Crown's duty to consult," it said.

On Monday, Sullivan wrote to the federal environment minister demanding a panel review for the development. His online petition has been signed more than 1,000 times.