STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS OF AN RCE IN

EVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

THE CASE OF THE YANCOAL POTASH MINE

IN SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA

5TH RCE CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAS

CURITIBA, BRAZIL, OCT. 21, 2016

(10:15-10:45 AM)

Roger A. Petry, Co-coordinator

RCE Saskatchewan &

Associate Professor of Philosophy, Luther College

roger.petry@uregina.ca

Note: many slides contributed by the Havelock Special Projects Committee and RCE SK Sustainable Infrastructure Working group

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

1. RCE Saskatchewan Projects

2. Context of Yancoal Proposal

(Geographic, Economic, Regulatory,

Ecological)

1. Initial Community Response

2. Engagement of RCE SK (Local,

Provincial, Federal)

3. Where we are today

SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA

ECOREGIONS OF SASKATCHEWAN

RCE SK: MIXED MOIST GRASSLAND AND

ASPEN PARKLAND

RCE SASKATCHEWAN FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

(SEE GLOBAL RCE PORTAL 2016 REPORT)

Saskatchewan Ecomuseum Initiative (SEI;

www.facebook.com/groups/saskecomuseums/)

Sustainability and Education Policy Network

(SEPN; www.sepn.ca)

Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN;

www.luthercollege.edu/vssn)

Reducing Pesticide Use: Plant Health Care Model

RCE SK ESD Recognition Event

(http://www.rceskrecognitionevent.com/)

PROPOSED YANCOAL SOUTHEYPOTASH MINE:

RCE SK ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

ASSESSMENT INTERVENTION

Mineral Resources

in Saskatchewan

(Source:

Encyclopedia of

Saskatchewan)

SASKATCHEWAN AND POTASH

Share of World Potash Reserves: Canada (46%),

Russia (35%), Belarus (8%), Brazil (3%), China

(2%)

ECONOMIC CONTEXT

Saskatchewan economy adversely

impacted by decline in resource

prices

Oil: low prices and transportation cost

Potash: low prices and erosion of

marketing monopoly

Agriculture

Loss of Canadian Wheat Board: lower price

for farmers and increased transportation

costs

ECONOMIC CONTEXT

Province struggling financially:

Clawback of committed funds last

year

Budget and financial update not

presented during spring 2016

election

Promoting “SK Advantage” (Low tax,

low regulatory environment, pro-

traditional resource dev’t)

YANCOAL SOUTHEY POTASH MINE PROPOSAL

Yancoal: state-owned company of the

Government of China

http://www.yancoal.ca/

Proposal to build a solution potash mine

Extract 2.8 million tonnes of potash/year for

100 years (Yancoal Environmental Impact

Study (EIS),

http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/2015-

003EISMainDocument, p. E-6)

2200 f.t.e. workers/year during construction;

350 ongoing operations (EIS E-11)

SK REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT

Specific Projects Traditionally Reviewed by Canada Environmental Impact Assessment Act

Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2012 seeks to fast-track development

Many EIA become a provincial responsibility even for large projects (like a potash mine)

2015 SaskWater “pre-applies” for water use permits even prior to projects known by communities

PRAIRIE REGION: NORTH AND SOUTH

SASKATCHEWAN RIVER

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

WATER, WATER, WATER…

Diefenbaker Lake: Water

Storage from Rocky

Mountains/Glacial Melt

Inflow of water to Lake Diefenbaker (source of Buffalo Pound water) declined

~30% over 100 years

Lake

source: Prairie Provinces Water Board (courtesy David Sauchyn)

Vo

lum

e (

da

m3)

Saskatchewan Aquifers

Yancoal

Exploration

Campaign

(2013-2014)

TIMELINE OF DEVELOPMENT

Yancoal Offers to

Purchase Land

(Jan – March 2014)

Yancoal Poster

Board Info

Sessions

(March 2015)

Yancoal Submits EIS

to Ministry

(Summer 2015)

Yancoal Hires Community

Relations Officer

(October 2015)

Community/RM

Demand Public

Forum/ Meeting

(July 2015)

Land Owners

Request Formal

Meeting

Yancoal DECLINES

(March 2014)

Yancoal Attends

RM Meetings

(September 2015)

HSPC Formed

(September 2015)

RM Hires

Professional

Services

(December 2015)

Yancoal Opens

Local Office

(January 2016)

Community Lead

Info Session

(January 2016)

2013 2014 2015 2016

SITE OF PROPOSED

YANCOAL-SOUTHEY POTASH MINE

Havelock: a thriving agricultural community

Within 5 miles of proposed core facility:

326 people, including 80 children

129 family farms

Wildlife, including burrowing owls, ducks, fish, and large game

12 family farms within 1 mile of core facility

3 miles from proposed core facility

IMPACT ON AREA RESIDENTS: YOUNG FAMILIES WITH HIGH

POPULATION DENSITY (FOR RURAL SK!)

Population Count = 129 Homes within 5 miles = 326 People

(Red Dot = 1 family farm)

Strasbourg

Grid

# 6 Highway

AREA RESIDENTS EXPRESS CONCERNS

Havelock Community Hall, May 11, 2016

RESIDENTS’ KEY CONCERNS

1. Lack of participatory engagement with

those directly impacted

2. Impact on drinking water sources– use of

Buffalo Pound water and drilling through and

under Hatfield Aquifer

3. Salt spray contamination of surrounding

land and downstream water

4. Lack of adequate study and planning on

impacts and development of contingency plans

1. LACK OF PARTICIPATORY PUBLIC

ENGAGEMENT BY YANCOAL

never hosted participatory meetings with impacted residents, only come-and-go poster presentations. Participatory meetings hosted only by the RM and volunteers.

RM of Longlaketon received no assistance from the province with evaluation of the proposal.

no partnership created with those most impacted in community

First contact with individual farmers included offers to purchase land; requirement to respond within 10 days and sign a confidentiality agreement.

2. IMPACT ON DRINKING WATER

0.5 cubic metres of fresh water per second drawn from Buffalo Pound Lake for coming 100 years. Source of water for capital city of

Regina (Pop. 260,000)

Equivalent to approx. ½ water use of City of Regina (Pop. 260,000)

No other water sources researched, including non-potable water from Quill Lakes

Contamination risk to the Hatfield Aquifer, source of pristine drinking water to farms and communities. Mine requires drilling through and beneath the aquifer.

3. SALT SPRAY CONTAMINATION

40 – 80 meter salt pile will spray salt to the surrounding area negatively impacting human, animal, soil, farmland and plant health

Loon Creek, major tributary to PasquaLake, is 3 miles from the proposed tailing ponds and will be impacted by salt and other contaminants. I love my

lake

I love the

Qu’Appelle

River Valley

Photo: DepositPhotos.com

White = waste salts from Mosaic Potash mine salt pile

Mosaic mine site 2011

5 km

SALT SPRAY CONTAMINATION

4. LACK OF ADEQUATE STUDY &

PLANNING

Lack of detail on project design, monitoring in contingency planning in the case of contamination of water and soil

Lack of federal impact study. Prior to 2012, a project of this size would have triggered a comprehensive study under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.Mention of potash mines was eliminated from this Act in 2012.

Lack of demonstrated commitment to sustainable practices – poor understanding of impact on fish, wildlife, water, land, air, traffic and public safety, heritage and culture

FURTHER STUDY NEEDED: SINKING

(SUBSIDENCE) OF LAND

Sinking (Subsidence) of land will cause changes to water drainage, structural damage to existing buildings and use of land.

Planning required to address/mitigate impacts

Written commitments needed to give landowners reassurance they will not lose property value or have buildings damaged as a result of subsidence.

K+S POTASH MINE TRAFFIC ROAD 1

(HIGHWAY 11 TO CORE FACILITY)

VIDEO GOES HERE

Oct 30, 2015 5:40PM

http://www.highways.gov.sk.ca/sask-maps

SAFETY CONCERN

FOR SCHOOL BUS ROUTES

Strasbourg

Grid

Yancoal

Proposed

Route

# 6 Highway

LOCAL RCE INVOLVEMENT

Local RCE Flagship Project (CLEM Ecomuseum)

connects with Havelock community reps.

Facilitation of meeting of local Havelock

community defining vision of development (May

2016)

Major contributions to community submission to

provincial Yancoal EIA (June 2016)

Technical Background of Environmental Assessment

Legislation

Investigation of Yancoal record in China

DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY VIDEO

Video for various audiences (August 2016)

Includes Prime Minister of Canada, Hon. Justin Trudeau

See: http://www.saskrce.ca/node/2583

ADDITIONAL RCE SK CONCERNS

Company experience in coal mining

would be first potash mine

Problematic environmental record of

parent company mine site

remediation in China

Illegal surveillance of employees of

parent company in Australia

LOCAL RESIDENTS’ AIM:

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY MEANS:

Strong public consultation and

engagement with those directly

impacted. We should have been

consulted first.

Responses to concerns raised.

Best practice from corporations

and government regulators

Support from government for

RM in dealing with Yancoal.

Not hands off.

Comments from meeting participants,

May 11, 2016, Havelock Community

Centre

Third

Generation

Farmer

I love my

family, my

land, my

lifestyle.

Lived here

since 1961.

A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY MEANS:

• Truth and transparency

• Public dialogue

• No confidentiality

agreements

• Protection of quality of

life

• Trust that regulatory

agencies are on the side

of people as much as

business

Comments from meeting

participants, May 11, 2016,

Havelock Community Centre

I love where I

live and my

family has

always lived

#Love where

I live

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY MEANS:

Local communities not bearing the burden of provincial development alone

Fair planning and compensation

Prevention of problems rather than acceptance of high levels of risk and reactive responses

Best research. Is drilling over top of an aquifer safe?

Comments from meeting participants, May 11, 2016, Havelock Community Centre

Born March

2016 5th

Generation

Farmer

I love

my farmI care!!

I love raising

my family on

our farm

Love the

farm life

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY MEANS

Water is sacred and not to be

compromised.

Specific data, not “we think...”

Community investments to

offset impacts in upstream,

downstream & surrounding

residences and communities.

Outline environmental

benefits, not just impacts.

Goal is sustainable

communities. Mining needs to

contribute to that.

Comments from meeting participants, May 11, 2016,

Havelock Community Centre

Havelock

Matters

Standing for

my values

Water is

precious

I like my farm !!!

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT

RCE SK provides response to

Government of SK call for

submissions (June, 2016)

Identifies deficiencies and asks key

questions

Rapid response with academic input

RCE makes formal request for

Inquiry by Minister of Environment

under EIA Act

Ministry denies request

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT

(CONTINUED)

Ministry provides conditional project

approval (August 2016)

RCE Saskatchewan provides analysis of

weaknesses of conditions and overall

approach

Provincial Minister of Environment

and Minister of Economic

Development resign within 2 days of

announcement

ENGAGEMENT WITH GOVERNMENT OF

CANADA/FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

RCE SK shares all documents with

Federal Ministry of Environment and

Climate Change in Ottawa

RCE appeals under Federal Act to apply

Environmental Impact Assessment to

Project

Seeks a Cumulative Impacts Assessment

RCE SK letter provides formal trigger for

Government of Canada to consider review

of project

WHERE ARE WE NOW?

Local: Havelock Community awaiting results of Local Elections in Rural Municipality (RM), Oct. 26, 2016

RM awaiting reimbursement of $24,000 from Yancoal

Seeking to create “pushback bylaw” from residences

Conducting baseline radiation study of area

Provincial: Havelock Community meets with new Provincial Minister of Environment

Provincial Government commitment to respect Yancoal negotiations with local RM (if done in good faith); can’t/won’t mandate agreement

Federal: Awaiting Federal Government decision on whether to conduct EIA

WHERE TO GET MORE DETAILS

Facebook – Havelock Special Projects Committee

Twitter: @HSPCommittee

Environmental Impact Assessment

http://www.environment@gov.sk.ca/ea2015-003

Yancoal web site: www.yancoal.ca

RCE Saskatchewan Documentation with two levels of

government: http://www.saskrce.ca/node/2581

RCE/Havelock Video: http://www.saskrce.ca/node/2583