What The Frack Manitoba Response to CanWhite Sands Corp. November 9, 2020 Letter to the IAAC

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November 14, 2020

In a November 9 , 2020 letter to the Federal Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC), Brent Bullen, Chief Operating Officer for CanWhite Sands Corp. stated that “CanWhite Sands has no intention of moving forward with the Manitoba operation until the required independent science is available for elected leaders and stakeholders to review.”

In the letter, CanWhite Sands Corp announced it is conducting a hydrogeological study, including but not limited to testing and monitoring of the carbonate and sandstone aquifers and associated aquitards.

The hydrogeological study is not expected to be completed until mid-late March of 2021.

CanWhite Sands notes in its November 9, 2020 letter to the IA AC that..”(o)nce all stakeholders have had an opportunity to review the independent facts of the proposed operation, multiple public engagement sessions will be held to provide further clarification, direct questioning of independent experts and a complete overview of the operation.”

What the Frack Manitoba strongly opposes any CanWhite Sands Corp. (proponent) led public meeting process, as it in no way meets the formal requirement to have the company submit third party technical information and data on their mine and mining method and submit said information for a formal review under the Manitoba Environment Act, so that both the public and government experts can review and assess the entirety of CanWhite Sands Corp. proposed development as one project.

More importantly, any proponent led public meeting process, as outlined in the CanWhite Sands Corp letter to the IAAC on November 9, 2020, does not meet the legal standard of a Section 35 Consultation process that must be undertaken by the Crown when there may be an infringement on Aboriginal and Métis rights.

What The Frack Manitoba is now in the processes of making a formal appeal, under the Manitoba Environmental Act., to the Manitoba Minister of Conservation requesting that the Minister suspend the current Manitoba environmental review process and request that CanWhite Sands Corp submit a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with not only this new hydrogeological study, but also the third party technical information and data on its unconventional mining method as a Class 3 Development project, as per the Manitoba Environment Act., to be reviewed by a joint federal/provincial public panel review process.

In the letter to the IAAC from the President and CEO of CanWhite Sands Corp, dated in September 11, 2020, reveals that CanWhite could potentially be returning large volumes of toxic water back into the the aquifer that supplies potable drinking water to southeastern Manitoba.

It has been clear to What the Frack Manitoba from the start of the Manitoba government environmental review process that both the Province of Manitoba and CanWhite Sands Corp. are not at all interested in providing a transparent public environmental review process that assesses CanWhite Sands Corp. processing facility, its mine and its unconventional mining process.

We therefore again call on the Federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change to designate CanWhite Sands Corp silica sand development project a “physical activity” so that federal Impact Assessment Act can be applied to this proposed development.

Respectfully,

Don Sullivan

What The Frack Manitoba