Cabinet authorizes environment minister to dismiss appeals of mining plant’s approval

The provincial cabinet has agreed to let the environment minister dismiss appeals related to the licensing of a new tailings plant at a critical minerals mine near Whiteshell Provincial Park.

The July 16 order in council allows Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes to dismiss four appeals filed after the Chinese-owned Tantalum Mining Corp. of Canada Ltd. — Tanco — was issued an Environment Act licence on Aug. 27 to build and operate a new tailings reprocessing facility.

A tailings plant is a specialized structure designed to safely store and manage waste materials produced during mining operations.

The mine operates on the northwest shore of Bernic Lake, 180 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Mining at the property began in the 1920s, with tin. Now it produces tantalum, cesium and lithium.

Tanco filed an Environment Act proposal on Nov. 9, 2023 to build a mill producing 3,000 tonnes per day. The proposal advertised in newspapers raised concerns in the area, including some from the Bird River Cottage Owners Association.

The association’s written submission to the province said a project “of this magnitude” shouldn’t be approved until more is known about the reprocessing operation.

The cottage owners also expressed concern about increased traffic, safety, noise, impacts to environment, wildlife and water.

“Residents and cottage owners that have enjoyed the natural beauty of Bird River for the last several decades should be able to continue to do so safely, and peacefully for decades to come,” said the association, which did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

There were 49 submissions during the public review period, and most were related to traffic, road safety and water quality — issues that were addressed during the environmental assessment and licensing process, the cabinet order issued earlier this month said.

After Tanco received its Environment Act licence on Aug. 27, four appeals were submitted to the minister, the order in council said. The appeals were “similar to those raised during the public review period and were addressed during the environmental assessment process through licensing conditions.”

It authorized the minister, Moyes, to dismiss them.

“Manitoba’s environmental protections are strong, which is why concerns raised by Manitobans and experts were directly addressed through licensing conditions for this project,” the minister said in a prepared statement Tuesday.

“We know Manitobans want a healthy environment for their children and our government is committed to protecting our environment for generations to come.”

The way Environment Act appeals can be dismissed shows the process is “broken,” said Eric Reder with the Wilderness Committee. Although the public review process for Environment Act licence proposals is transparent, with comments and concerns posted online, that is not the case with appeals, Reder said.

Once a licence has been issued, the public is kept in the dark about appeals, with no explanation of concerns raised or any conditions imposed to ensure they’re addressed, the wilderness advocate said.

“The government really has to show their work on this,” said Reder, who said he has no issues with the Tanco mine operation, other than the way the appeals were dismissed by cabinet decree. He called on the Kinew government to commit to establishing a “robust” environmental appeals process that is transparent and accountable.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca