Springfield residents look to provincial party leaders to nix silica sand project

Residents in rural Manitoba are looking to provincial party leaders on the campaign trail to nix a controversial silica sand mining project after a private referendum showed thousands are against it.

Over the past month, nearly 5,000 people phoned into a private residents' referendum in the Rural Municipality of Springfield. They were asked if they support a silica sand extraction project proposed by Alberta-based Sio Silica.

According to the group organizing the referendum – a group that has been fiercely opposed to the project – more than 96 per cent of people who phoned in voted against it.

"They want this aquifer protected at all costs, and so they're saying no to Sio Silica. They're saying no to this type of infrastructure being penetrated into our aquifer," said Springfield Councillor Mark Miller, who helped organize the referendum.

Sio Silica wants to set up a silica sand mining operation in an area near Vivian in southeastern Manitoba. The company has a plan to extract up to 1.36 million tonnes of silica sand per year by drilling more than 1,000 wells in the area.

It has come under fire from residents worried the project could contaminate the aquifer in the area that supplies drinking water to thousands living in the area.

A report from the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) released in June found that, while some of the risks identified may have a low probability of occurring, there are uncertainties about the impact on water quality due to the project's experimental nature.

"Industry is critical for our community, no question about it. But not when it's going to potentially contaminate or have risks of contaminating this aquifer over the period of 24-year lifespan," Miller said.

The councillor said the results of the referendum are being sent to the Springfield council along with other rural municipalities in southeastern Manitoba, as well as the federal government.

RM of Springfield Mayor Patrick Therrien previously told CTV News the referendum does not reflect nor was it authorized by the rural municipality. Therrien was unavailable for comment on Tuesday.

PROVINCIAL PARTY LEADERS WEIGH IN

Miller told CTV News the results of the referendum are also being sent to the leaders of Manitoba's political parties, along with each candidate in the southeast Manitoba provincial ridings.

"Each of these leaders and the parties have to hear this message to protect the water of southeastern Manitoba," Miller said.

The final decision on the Sio Silica project rests with the provincial government.

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew was asked about it on the campaign trail Tuesday. While he gave no definitive answer on whether his party supports the project or not, Kinew said they will 'listen to the people' and respect what the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) has said.

"What the CEC has said is that there are a lot of risks with this project, and the risks have to do with the fact that this is a novel technique that has been used on mining," Kinew said.

"If we succeed on forming government, we are going to listen to the people of Manitoba and we are going to follow very carefully, very judiciously the direction of the Clean Environment Commission."

The Manitoba Liberal Party said it is directly opposed to the project.

"We believe there is too much at risk, as was reported in the Clean Environment Commission report," a statement from Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont reads. "We stand with the many residents in believing there is too much at risk and there is a very real possibility that Manitoba’s largest freshwater underground aquifer could be compromised."

The Manitoba Progressive Conservatives would only say that the project is under review by experts in the Department of Environment and Climate.

A hearing with the Manitoba Municipal Board is scheduled in October to decide if a development agreement – which was previously voted down by the RM of Springfield – will be allowed to continue. Sio Silica has previously told CTV news it will be reserving comment as the matter is now before the Manitoba Municipal Board.