B.C. has issued an environmental assessment certificate for a new open-pit silica sand mine north of Prince George.
The Vitreo Minerals-owned Angus Project, roughly 60 kilometres north of Prince George and 10 kilometres east of Bear Lake, is expected to generate $300 million in investment, creating 150 jobs during construction and 140 during operations.
The type of sand produced by this mine is used in hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as fracking, to prop open the fractures created in oil and gas extraction. Vitreo anticipates the project will produce roughly two million tonnes of silica sand per year over a 20-year lifespan.
Environment and Parks Minister Tamara Davidson granted the certificate after considering both the local economic benefit and that the mine would enable domestic production of a product currently imported from the United States.
The project’s environmental assessment process took three years and included consultation with the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Tsay Keh Dene Nation and West Moberly First Nation.
The certificate includes 19 legally binding conditions related to air quality, wildlife protection, greenhouse-gas reduction, health and emergency planning, and monitoring of impacts to First Nations.
Facilities will include a raw sand plant, water management infrastructure, waste rock and fines stockpiles, a finishing plant and related infrastructure.