New potash mine gets green light from Sask. government

The provincial government has given conditional approval to a new potash mine for southern Saskatchewan.

In a media release Wednesday, the Ministry of Environment said it had given the green light to CanPacific Potash Inc.’s proposal for a 3.25-million-tonne-per-year solution mine, which would be located near Francis and Sedley.

Those towns are approximately 50 kilometres southeast of Regina.

Further provincial and local approvals are needed for the company’s Albany Potash Project, but an environmental assessment is required during the regulatory process for potash mines in Saskatchewan. That now has been completed.

“The Ministry of Environment’s role is to ensure environmental responsibility is appropriately managed for developments such as potash mines,” Environment Minister Dustin Duncan said in a media release.

“During the public review period of this project, we heard concerns about potential impacts to native grassland and wetlands and those concerns have been directly addressed in this decision to grant conditional approval for the project.”

During public consultations held between March 16 and May 15, 453 comments were received.

As part of the conditional approval, CanPacific has to develop a compensation plan if any native grassland and wetland habitat can’t be avoided by the project. That plan has to be OK’ed by the ministry.

“The plan will identify affected native grassland and wetlands, identify the methods to restore/enhance existing areas or create new native prairie/wetlands, and provide a timeline for completing the work and monitoring the areas,” the media release said.

The company also has to give the RM of Francis a development plan agreement before starting construction. As well, CanPacific must return to the ministry for approval for future development of the 20-year well-field areas.