In June, about 60 people crammed into a room at the Saskatchewan legislature to voice their concerns over the proposed Yancoal potash mine near Southey. We see a shot of people of all ages (from a baby to senior citizens) looking straight ahead. They have the air of people who are being lectured to. The women wear mainly blue, most are wearing glasses.

In June, about 60 people crammed into a room at the Saskatchewan legislature to voice their concerns over the proposed Yancoal potash mine near Southey.
Photo Credit: CBC

Controversial potash project moves to next phase

Saskatchewan is moving ahead on a potash mine proposal that has many residents in the Southey area concerned and worried about the environmental fallout.

On Tuesday, the provincial government gave conditional environmental approval to the project that will allow the Yancoal mine to move to the next phase of the approval process.

The government says experts scrutinized the company’s environmental impact statement and found the company has addressed key issues, including potential impact to groundwater.

Yancoal, which is owned by the government of China, wants to build a solution mine, which would use millions of cubic metres of water each year to dissolve the potash.

Solution mining involves pumping heated water through the ore body to dissolve the potash and pumping the resultant brine solution to a refinery for extraction.

Yancoal has a license to use water from the Buffalo Pound resevoir for the proposed operation and is set to pay a water rights fee to the province’s Water Security Agency.

The project has brought resistence from residents who live downstream from the mine, located north of Regina.

But the government says the Water Security Agency has confirmed that Buffalo Pound Lake can supply water to the project without significant negative impact to downstream areas.

Environment Minister Herb Cox says Yancoal must ensure that the rural municipality is involved in planning and that the company sets up a community advisory committee.

Yancoal has said it could start construction as early as this year.

With CBC and CP files.

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