SILICA IS USED AS FRACKING SAND

An Alberta miner's proposal to drill 7,200 wells near Winnipeg has rural residents on edge

Sio Silica wants to pump pure sand from aquifer that serves as drinking-water source for tens of thousands

Bartley Kives · 

CBC News · 

Posted: May 31, 2023 

Josh and Georgina Mustard, seen with their youngest child, Callie, hope Manitoba's Clean Environment Commission does not approve Sio Silica's proposal to extract sand from below the surface of southeastern Manitoba. (Gary Solilak/CBC)

An Alberta mining company wants to drill thousands of wells in southeastern Manitoba to remove millions of tonnes of sand in an aquifer that serves as the source of drinking water for tens of thousands of people.

Calgary-based Sio Silica is seeking provincial environmental approval to drill up to 7,200 wells to the east and southeast of Winnipeg over 24 years and extract up to 33 million tonnes of ultra-pure silica sand from about 50 metres below the surface.

The mining company says its proposal will inject billions of dollars into the Manitoba economy by tapping into a Canadian supply of a highly sought after raw material required for the production of solar panels, new batteries and semiconductors.

Hundreds of residents of southeastern Manitoba, however, fear the potential contamination of their drinking water by a mining process that's never been tried on this scale anywhere on Earth.

The commodity coveted by Sio Silica is ultrapure crystalline quartz, which is 99.85 per cent free of contaminants such as boron, thorium, uranium and other elements that diminish the industrial value of silica.

The sand below the surface of southeastern Manitoba is 99.85 per cent pure silica. 

(Gary Solilak/CBC)

"That sand is not easily obtainable around the world. The deposit in Manitoba is probably the largest high-purity, scalable deposit in the world," said Brent Bullen, Sio Silica's chief operating officer, during a visit to Winnipeg earlier in May.

A veteran mining industry executive who's worked in Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Russia, Germany and Poland, Bullen said Sio Silica originally came to Manitoba in search of "frac sand" for use in horizontal oil drilling.
Sand producer shifts from oilpatch drilling to solar manufacturing with new facility in Manitoba

The company changed tack, he said, when it realized a vast quantity of critical minerals lies within a geological formation called the Winnipeg Sandstone Aquifer.
Seeking to drill 300 wells a year

Sio Silica proceeded to buy up subsurface mineral claims, mostly in an arc of land east of Winnipeg, where the sandstone aquifer is close enough to the surface to be reached by drilling conventional 16-inch-wide wells — yet still far enough below ground, the company claims, to prevent the surface from collapsing after sand is sucked out below.

The areas in yellow demarcate Sio Silica's subsurface mineral claims in southern Manitoba, according to documents filed with Manitoba's Clean Environment Commission. (CBC News Graphics)

In documents filed with the Clean Environment Commission (CEC), Manitoba's environmental regulator, Sio Silica intends to drill about 300 wells a year in Manitoba.

By injecting air into the pipe, sand would be extracted from each well for five to seven days. Outside the well, a slurry of sand and water would be piped to a processing facility planned for a former patch of forest south of Vivian, Man., in the Rural Municipality of Springfield, about 50 kilometres due east of Portage & Main.

Sio Silica's plan calls for the sand to be purified further at the processing plant and then shipped by rail to customers. Excess water would be cleaned and piped back underground.

WATCH | How the mining process would work:


How the mining would work
1 day ago
Duration0:32

How Sio Silica hopes to extract sand from below the surface of southeastern Manitoba.

Bullen calls the process "sustainable mining" and insists it will have no noticeable effect on the environment, unlike surface mining for lower-grade silica, which can leave scars behind on the surface and beaches bereft of sand.

Experts in geology, hydrology and water chemistry hired by the CEC are less enthused.
Manitoba orders public hearing on proposed silica sand mine in RM of Springfield

In reports prepared for the commission, they raise concerns about changes to water quality that may result from thousands of new wells that would puncture a relatively impermeable layer of shale, a crumbly sedimentary rock, on the way down into the sandstone aquifer.

Those additional wells, they say, will cause water from the Winnipeg Sandstone Aquifer to mingle with water above the shale, where the Red River Carbonate Aquifer has a different water chemistry.

"There will certainly be an exchange of groundwaters between the aquifers. There will be an irreversible change where mixing of these two aquifers will occur," a trio of engineers with the consulting firm KGS wrote in a report for the CEC.

'A precautionary approach is important'

The consultants also argued Sio Silica has only modelled subsurface water flows, without demonstrating them in the field, using a larger cluster of test wells.

Other consultants hired by the environmental regulator raised concerns about potential leaks of polyacrylamide, a chemical that would be used in the processing facility.

They also flagged what they considered a reluctance on the part of Sio Silica to consider the effects of improperly built or capped wells, as well as a failure to model how thousands of additional wells may interact with future residential or industrial development in southeastern Manitoba.

"Since groundwater is the main source of potable water for thousands of Manitobans, a precautionary approach is important," wrote Louis-Charles Boutin, an engineering consultant with Matrix Solutions, in a report for the Clean Environment Commission.

WATCH | What silica mining critics fear:

What silica mining critics fear
1 day ago
Duration0:31 What critics fear could happen if silica mining in southeastern Manitoba is approved.

Some Manitobans who draw their drinking water from the same aquifers are even more skeptical of Sio Silica's plans.

"This science has never been tried," said Bradley Simmons, an aircraft maintenance engineer who lives on 60 hectares of mostly wooded land a few kilometres west of Sio Silica's proposed processing facility.

"Getting approved for 25 years seems like a long time, and for something that has never been done before. Why couldn't we just do a couple years for trial purposes, test the well water and see what happens underneath us?"

Brad Simmons is in the process of rewilding 60 hectares of former agricultural land several kilometres west of the proposed silica-processing facility. He's concerned about groundwater contamination. (Travis Golby/CBC)

Simmons is one of several hundred Manitobans who registered opposition to Sio Silica's proposal during Clean Environment Commission hearings that took place in Anola, Beausejour and Steinbach in February and March.
Concerns mount in southeast Manitoba over proposed silica sand mining project near Vivian

Many are members of Our Line in the Sand, an organized opposition group that formed in 2020, after some property owners were told they could not subdivide their land because of mineral claims below.
'This project shouldn't even be considered'

Our Line in the Sand president Tangi Bell said it's shameful that successive NDP and Progressive Conservative governments shepherded the mining proposal along without notifying residents.

"Ethically, this project shouldn't even be considered. It is taking place directly in the only freshwater drinking source for southeast Manitoba," said Bell on her acreage, which sits a few kilometres northwest of the proposed silica-processing site.

"We should know better at this point in our lives to sacrifice, and they're asking us to sacrifice this water for decarbonization plans."

Tangi Bell is the president of Our Line in the Sand, a group that began organizing in 2020 against Sio Silica's mining proposal. (Travis Golby/CBC)

Greg Nesbitt, Manitoba's natural resources minister, declined to comment on the Sio Silica proposal while it remains before the Clean Environment Commission.

Bob Lagasse, the Progressive Conservative MLA for Dawson Trail, which encompasses the Vivian area, said he will abide by whatever the commission decides.

"When this project came across my desk at the beginning, I had already started pushing behind the scenes to have this go to the Clean Environment Commission, because it hasn't been done," said Lagasse in a phone interview.

"It's an unknown, right? So leave it to the experts to decide, and we'll have to look at their determination."

Patrick Therrien, the mayor of Springfield, called the deliberations volatile. Some residents with environmental concerns clashed with proponents of economic development, which includes a proposal by German company RTC to build a solar-panel manufacturing plant in Manitoba if Sio Silica's plans are approved.

"There's going to be people that are not happy with either decision that comes out from the CEC, and we just have to be prepared one way or the other," said Therrien.

'Once it's gone, it's gone'

The concerns are not just environmental. Georgina and Josh Mustard, who live with their eight children on 47 hectares of land immediately to the west of Sio Silica's proposed processing facility, are uneasy about the prospect of an industrial plant opening up in what used to be a relatively pristine forest.

"If this goes through, it's obviously going to affect us first, but it's going to affect thousands and thousands of people," Georgina Mustard said at a picnic table outside her home earlier in May.

"We bought this place to secure for our family and our kids and if this goes through and things go wrong, then what? Then we have to leave? We have to uproot everything we know?"

Josh Mustard, who has worked on oil and gas projects across Canada, said he's seen the effects of industrial spills first hand.

He also said he doesn't believe Sio Silica's claims about sustainability or the protection of groundwater.

"There's no replacing it. Like, once it's gone, it's gone. That's the problem with mining: you're removing a resource," he said.

"We have open silica here in Manitoba. So why aren't we chasing that, without disturbing aquifers and groundwater and residential areas?"

Bullen said he sat through the Clean Environment Commission hearings and listened to testimony from residents. He said some were victims of what he called misinformation about the possibility of earth collapsing around his company's proposed wells or wells being drilled without the consent of property owners.

No expert hired by the commission is concerned about collapses, he said. Sio Silica will only drill where property owners allow the activity, he added.

UGLY ILL FITTING SPORTS COAT

Brent Bullen, Sio Silica's chief operating officer, said the silica deposit below the surface of southeastern Manitoba is the largest high-quality deposit of its kind in the world. (Trevor Brine/CBC)

"It's fear: Fear of change, fear of the unknown," Bullen said. "When we went through the hearing, we watched a lot of emotion and we just had to listen to the emotion."
Company says it's using existing technology

Bullen said he's confident his company's consultants have laid out a case for the safety of the mining proposal, which he described as more proven and less experimental than opponents claim.

"What we've done is we've taken existing technologies and we've just applied them in a different manner," he said. "My argument is we've patented an application in a process of an existing technology and we just happen to be the first to patent it."

As for people who fear contamination of their wells, Bullen said there are already 20,000 holes drilled into the aquifer, which is greater than the number of wells Sio Silica would ever drill.

A test well near the proposed Sio Silica processing site is seen near a tarped mound of extracted silica. (Bartley Kives/CBC)

This argument does not cut it for Josh Mustard.

"Yeah, we're tapped into it, but we're not sucking sand out, doing mass destruction," he said.

If the Clean Environment Commission approves Sio Silica's proposal, Tangi Bell said Our Line in the Sand would launch a judicial review. But that would require fundraising, she said.

Sio Silica, meanwhile, has already sunk about $40 million into its Manitoba mining proposal.

The Clean Environment Commission must issue a decision about Sio Silica's plan by June 22.

Residents raise concerns over silica mining
Duration3:51

An Alberta mining company wants to drill thousands of wells east of Winnipeg. It wants to extract ultra-pure and highly valuable silica sand. The mining company says this could be worth billions for Manitoba but some rural residents fear sand mines will compromise their only source of drinking water.

 

Scientists reveal molecular mysteries to control silica scaling in water treatment

Peer-Reviewed Publication

DOE/OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

 

IMAGE: 

SILICA SCALING IN INDUSTRIAL WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS OCCURS WHEN DISSOLVED SILICA PRECIPITATES OUT, FORMING SOLID DEPOSITS THAT REDUCE EQUIPMENT EFFICIENCY AND LIFE SPAN, INCREASE MAINTENANCE COSTS AND RISK SYSTEM FAILURES.

view more 

CREDIT: ADAM MALIN/U.S. DEPT. OF ENERGY

Collaborative research that combined experiments at Yale University and molecular dynamics simulations at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides new insights into solving a major technical obstacle to efficient and sustainable industrial operations.

Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and in natural water sources it is commonly found in the form of dissolved silicic acid. Under certain pH and temperature conditions in industrial feed water, the acid can become oversaturated and insoluble, precipitating a substance, called silica scale, that encrusts equipment. This unwanted coating fouls the surfaces of various engineering systems, such as reverse osmosis desalination water-treatment membranes, heat exchanger components and plant pipelines.

“One way to combat the silica is to adjust the pH of the water, but this process is quite expensive and makes other forms of inorganic scaling, such as gypsum and calcite, worse,” said ORNL’s Vyacheslav “Slava” Bryantsev. “Recently, people have been using silica-inhibiting polymers, or antiscalants, all of which are proprietary. We know these antiscalants are possibly a class of polyamine-type systems that somewhat impede silica scaling, but how they work and how to improve on their existing properties have been poorly understood.”

Previous studies on the performance of polymeric silica antiscalants have varied widely from hindering to accelerating the formation of silica scale. “Ours was the first systematic investigation into the role of molecular structures and functional groups of polymeric antiscalants in stabilizing oversaturated silicic acid solutions,” Bryantsev said.

A paper titled “Molecular Design of Functional Polymers for Silica Scale Inhibition” published in Environmental Science & Technology provides details of the study.

The Yale scientists synthesized a series of nitrogen-containing polymers as silica antiscalants and tested their performance in an oversaturated silicic acid solution. They discovered enormous differences in effectiveness among similar types of antiscalants.

“Working closely with our colleagues at ORNL, we were able to determine that the variations were due to the specific physical and chemical properties of the polymers,” Yale’s Masashi Kaneda said. “The approach and the outcome are notable because we provided an understanding of the mechanisms involved in mitigating silica scaling through the use of polymeric antiscalants in water treatment processes.”

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating units, called monomers, that are linked together by chemical bonds to form a structural chain, or backbone. As monomers containing functional groups engage in a polymerization reaction, they merge into a larger polymer, imparting distinct functionalities to the resulting structural chain.

Water-soluble chemical compounds called amines and amides are incorporated into polymers to form antiscalants because of their ability to stabilize and suspend silica. When a positively charged hydrogen ion is added to an amine molecule, the amine is said to be protonated. Protonation can increase the molecule’s water solubility and reactivity.

In the Yale-ORNL study, the scientists discovered that polymers with charged amine and uncharged amide groups in their backbones exhibit superior silica scale inhibition performance, retaining up to 430 parts per million of reactive silica intact for eight hours under neutral pH conditions. However, monomers of these amine- and amide-containing polymers, along with polymers containing only amine and amide functionalities, presented insignificant inhibition.

“We needed to answer why the polymers we designed for the experiment worked, while the monomers did not,” said ORNL’s Deng Dong. “To identify the design parameters, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations that we believed would enable us to understand the mechanisms behind the phenomena.”

The simulations revealed strong binding between the deprotonated silicic acid and a polymer when the amine groups in the polymer were protonated.

“ORNL’s contribution enabled us to discover that certain functional groups in the polymer chain synergistically contribute to the scale inhibition process,” said Yale’s Mingjiang Zhong.

Zhong added that silica scaling is quite different from other scaling processes.

“Although current efforts are focused on solving the silica scale problem through the water-treatment process, the ideal case will be to add one type of antiscalant to inhibit all types of scale formation, not just silica,” Zhong said. “However, to the best of our knowledge, so far there is no such antiscalant. The molecular understanding we gained from our research will guide us toward discovering a universal solution.”

This study was supported by the National Alliance for Water Innovation, funded by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office. This research used resources of the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility at ORNL and resources of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center located at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. OLCF and NERSC are DOE Office of Science user facilities.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science. The single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.

This illustration shows the attraction between silica (orange diamonds), or silicic acid, and a polymeric antiscalant. The chemical interactions, which involve so-called charge-assisted hydrogen bonding, inhibit silica scaling.

CREDIT

Masashi Kaneda/Yale University

JOURNAL

Environmental Science & Technology

DOI

10.1021/acs.est.3c06504 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Molecular Design of Functional Polymers for Silica Scale Inhibition

New study shows increase in black lung disease in coal miners

Provides rationale for the mine safety and health administration to develop a more protective occupational standard for silica.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY

 

IMAGE: INCREASED SILICA LEVELS CAUSE OF RISE IN BLACK LUNG DISEASE AMONG COAL MINERS. view more 

CREDIT: ATS

April 14, 2022 – Higher levels of  silica dust can be found in the lung tissue of contemporary coal miners compared to the lung tissue in previous generations of coal miners, according to a new study in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.  The study helps explain the recent increase in severe pneumoconiosis – often referred to as black lung disease – concentrated in central Appalachia (West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky) miners.   

The study, “Pathology and Mineralogy Demonstrate Respirable Crystalline Silica is a Major Cause of Severe Pneumoconiosis in U.S. Coal Miners”, is unique in that it compares the lung tissue of the current generation of coal miners to lung tissue collected from miners from previous generations.

Silica is a naturally occurring substance that is ubiquitous in the earth’s mantle. Over ninety percent of rocks contain silica.  While safe in rock formations, breathing in silica dust is highly toxic and prolonged exposure to silica dust can lead to severe lung disease. 

From 1970 to 2005, the rate of black lung cases among coal miners had been declining, largely due to improved occupational health practices required by federal regulations.  However, since 2005, black lung cases in general have seen a three-fold increase and long-term coal miners have seen a 10-fold increase in black lung cases.  The study conducted by Robert Cohen, MD – director of the Mining Education and Research Center at the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC) – and colleagues provides strong evidence that silica is a major cause for the previously unexplained rise in black lung cases.

The change in silica exposure among coal miners is likely explained by changing mining practices initially adopted in the 1950s, as the coal industry started using powerful mechanized coal extraction devices. The powerful coal mining machinery enabled companies to extract large swaths of rock above and below the coal seams, which is much easier than mining focused on narrow veins of coal. This resulted in the generation of more silica dust.

In addition to providing an explanation, the study helps mine owners and federal regulators to better understand steps that must be taken to prevent future cases of black lung.  “Reducing coal miner exposure to silica dust is essential to prevent further black lung cases,” said Dr. Cohen, clinical professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at UIC. “This study provides clear, actionable evidence for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to establish specific silica dust exposure limits to protect coal miners from the known dangers of black lung disease.”

The current MSHA silica standard of 100 ug/m3 was established in 1969 and has not been revised since.  By contrast, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has established a much more protective silica exposure limit of 50 ug/m3 for other non-mining occupations. 

---

JOURNAL

Annals of the American Thoracic Society

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Systematic review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Human tissue samples

Manitoba rejects Sio Silica sand mining project, saying risk 'simply too great'


CBC
Fri, February 16, 2024 

Silica sand from a Sio Silica test well south of Vivian, Man. This mineral is sought for use in the production of solar panels, new batteries and semiconductors.

 (Gary Solilak/CBC - image credit)

A proposal by Sio Silica to mine ultra-pure silica sand in southeastern Manitoba has been denied by the province, just two days after the NDP government approved a different silica mine near Lake Winnipeg.

The province has decided not to issue an environmental licence for the sand extraction project near Vivian, in the rural municipality of Springfield, Premier Wab Kinew and Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt announced Friday.

The decision was based on information and data provided by experts, including a report done by the Clean Environment Commission as well as consultation with impacted communities and First Nations, the province said in a news release.

The CEC report identified a number of serious environmental concerns about the project, which would have extracted sand through aquifers that provide drinking water to 100,000 Manitobans.

"This week our government said yes to CPS," Premier Wab Kinew said, referring to the Canadian Premium Sand silica project approved on Wednesday. "Today, we are saying no to Sio."

Standing at a podium with a sign on front saying "protect the water," Kinew made the announcement at the community club in Anola, east of Winnipeg, where residents erupted in cheers at the news.

At public hearings over the past year, many residents raised concerns that the project could impact the quality of the drinking water aquifer and that carcinogens could be produced if silica sand becomes airborne.

"Manitoba families can rest easy, knowing that your drinking water will stay pristine," Kinew said.

Calgary-based Sio Silica hoped to drill up to 7,700 wells south and east of Winnipeg over the next 24 years to get the sand, which is used in the production of solar panels, semiconductors and new batteries.

The company planned to inject air to bring up a mixture of water and sand from the water table, which extends under a large swath of southeastern Manitoba and serves eight municipalities.

The project proposed shipping 1.36 million tonnes of silica sand to green energy and technology markets annually over the lifetime of the mines.

In a statement, Sio Silica CEO Feisal Somji said his company is disappointed with the decision, "especially in light of the fact that Sio was advised that the province had no more questions."

Somji said Schmidt declined his requests for meetings and never shared any concerns her office or her department may have had with the proposal.

He also said his company was not provided with advance notice of the decision.

The province invited opponents of the proposal to its announcement.

'Unproven approach' to extraction: Kinew

Kinew said Sio Silica proposed using a new method of extraction.

"With this unproven approach, we cannot guarantee the safety of drinking water for future generations in this part of Manitoba," the premier said at Friday's announcement.

"I want to be very clear: We are prepared to develop mining opportunities here in Manitoba, but it has to be done in the right way … that minimizes the risk to the health of humans and the safety of the environment. We can do both.

"The business case of this project does not outweigh the serious environmental risk this project poses."

But Somji argues the rejection was a unilateral decision "based on Minister Schmidt's opinion of the environmental concerns, and not based on feedback from the Environmental Approvals Branch, who had oversight and review of this application."

He said a draft licence presented to Sio Silica in September 2023 called for Sio to conduct testing, "rigourous data collection and a final report on findings" before commercial extraction.

The draft licence "was known to the current NDP government," and the approach would have allowed Sio to "address any remaining environmental and technical concerns," he said.

Somji also said the province has now effectively killed a proposal by German company RCT to develop a solar-panel manufacturing facility that would have relied on Sio Silica's product.

Schmidt said graduated licensing was not considered because of the potential risks to the environment.

Environmental groups called the decision to reject the licence "an important victory for safe drinking water, for science and for common sense."

"We commend Manitoba for listening to the community and to the scientific evidence," Tangi Bell of Our Line in the Sand, a group of concerned citizens opposed to the mine, said in a news release.

Her group and the Manitoba Eco Network raised concerns about the project after it was first announced in 2020 and spoke against it during the Clean Environment Commission hearing last year.

"This project never made sense for the region or for Manitoba," Glen Koroluk, Manitoba Eco-Network executive director, said in the release. "Today's announcement confirms the importance of evidence-based decision-making."

Open to reviewing future proposals: minister

Schmidt said at the news conference Friday that the government realizes silica is a valuable resource and would be open to working with experts and environmentalists to review any future proposals for the area around Vivian.

"We would certainly never rule out projects in the future, but this project, this proponent this time is a no," she said. "There are simply too many unknowns, and the risk at stake is simply too great."

On Wednesday, Kinew and Schmidt gave the go-ahead to Canadian Premium Sand, another Calgary-based company, to mine silica in Hollow Water First Nation, east of Lake Winnipeg, and create a solar glass production facility in Selkirk.

The mining and production facility are expected to bring in $2 billion in provincial taxes over a decade, or $200 million annually, and create hundreds of jobs.

CPS pursued the project for several years and received licensing approvals in 2019 and 2023, but faced delays and criticism over potential risks.

The NDP government did "months of careful review" of the CPS environmental licence, walking through every detail, and is confident that project is safe and environmentally responsible, Schmidt said Wednesday.

Comparing it to the Sio proposal, she said on Friday that "the two projects could not be more different. The only similarity is the resource being mined."

WATCH | Environment minister on how projects differ:

The CPS project employs more traditional open-pit mining methods with no requirement to dig through aquifers. Sio's method, where thousands of wells would be drilled through two aquifers to extract the sand, has never been done anywhere in the world, Schmidt said.

"There were many, many questions and unknowns raised by this project," she said.

"No one knows what the long-term effects of this proposal would be and frankly, the worst-case scenarios would be absolutely devastating, as more than 100,000 Manitobans source their drinking water from these aquifers."

'This is a jubilation': resident

Georgina and Joshua Mustard, who live next door to where the processing plant was set to be built, said they can rest easier with their worries lifted.

"This is a jubilation. I'm glad it's over, you know, for now," Joshua said. "Very happy, very happy."

Georgina described the uncertainty over the past few years as "pretty rough," before pausing as her eyes pooled with tears.

Jeff Stapleton/CBC

"A lot of sleepless nights wondering what our future looks like for our kids. But I'm glad it's all over now and everything's gonna be OK," she said.

"The roots that we have planted are gonna be there for us and our kids and our grandkids."

While the NDP government has shut the door on Sio Silica's proposal, Kinew said Manitoba's ethics commissioner will continue to examine claims made by him and two former PC cabinet ministers that the outgoing government attempted to approve the mining proposal following the election, which the Tories lost.

Interim Progressive Conservative Leader Wayne Ewasko declined to comment on that investigation.

Like Somji, he said he found it interesting Schmidt and Kinew announced the rejection — a decision he said should have been made by experts.

Somji said his company "remains hopeful that the government will be open to discussing solutions that are grounded in science and do not squander this multi-generational opportunity for the people of Manitoba."

"In the meantime, Sio will take the coming weeks to evaluate its legal options in the face of the minister's decision today," he said.

Premier claims former PC government tried to ram through silica mining approval days after Manitoba election


CBC
Wed, December 27, 2023 

An Alberta miner wants to dig as many as 7,200 wells over the next 24 years in order to extract ultra-pure silica, a commodity sought by producers of solar panels, new batteries and semiconductors. (Gary Solilak/CBC - image credit)

Premier Wab Kinew claims the former Progressive Conservative government tried to approve an Alberta mining company's proposal to drill for sand in southeastern Manitoba days after the Tories lost the provincial election in October.

Former PC cabinet minister Kevin Klein corroborates Kinew's allegation of an attempted breach of the caretaker convention, where outgoing governments are supposed to only engage in urgent, routine, reversible or uncontroversial operations during the brief period before the next government is sworn in.

But a fellow former PC cabinet minister, Jeff Wharton, denies Kinew and Klein's claims. He insists his government respected the caretaker convention and merely briefed the NDP transition team about the status of the file regarding Alberta-based Sio Silica.

The NDP won Manitoba's provincial election on Oct. 3. The PCs continued to govern until Oct. 17, when Kinew was sworn in as premier.

Kinew's office said the PCs attempted on Oct. 6 — three days into the post-election transition period — to approve Sio Silica's proposal to drill as many as 7,200 wells in southeastern Manitoba over the next 24 years in an effort to extract up to 33 million tonnes of ultra-pure silica sand.

The areas in yellow demarcate Sio Silica's subsurface mineral claims in southern Manitoba, according to documents filed with Manitoba's Clean Environment Commission. (CBC News Graphics)

The Clean Environment Commission, Manitoba's environmental regulator, recommended in June against any immediate decision about the project until more is known about the effects of removing that much sand from the Winnipeg sandstone aquifer, a source of drinking water for thousands. A second technical review of the project was underway.

Kinew said the PCs nonetheless tried to "ram this through" and paint the approval of Sio Silica as an administrative, not political matter.

"I was surprised on a Friday afternoon to understand that one of the first actions of our new government could potentially be the approval of this mine. They made the argument that it wasn't up to us as an incoming government. We said we're going to put a stop to that," Kinew said in an interview last week.

"We said we're an incoming government. We think that our future minister, who is not sworn in yet or even been announced publicly, should be the one to have a say, at least in this decision."

Former Kirkfield Park MLA Klein, who served as environment and climate minister in the former PC government, said there was indeed an effort by the PCs to breach the caretaker convention.

But Klein said it was him, not the incoming NDP government, who put the brakes on approving the mining proposal.

Klein said Wharton, who served as the PC minister responsible for economic development and mining, asked Klein to sign off on the approval.

"I received a request to approve the project following the election. I strongly declined for three reasons," Klein said last week in an interview.

Premier Wab Kinew, seen here days after he was sworn in, claims the former PC government tried to ram through approval for Sio Silica during the transition period. (Travis Golby/CBC)

"First, because we lost the election and it would have been inappropriate to approve something like this in the transitional period between governments. Second, because I had serious concerns with this project [and] third, I gave my word to residents that the decision would be made by experts.

"Now in saying that, I was extremely disappointed this was even proposed in the transition period."

Klein said he backed up concerns voiced by provincial staff the proposal should not be approved at that time.

"My foremost duty is to the residents and not to succumb to pressure to make a decision that isn't what I believe to be morally correct," he said.

Wharton said in an interview he did not ask Klein to approve the proposal and denied any member of his government tried to approve the project during the transition period.

Manitoba Minister of Municipal Relations Jeff Wharton, photographed on Nov. 15, 2017.
Former PC economic development minister Jeff Wharton denied Kinew and Klein's claims. He said his government briefed the NDP about Sio Silica during the transition period. (Tyson Koschik/CBC)

"This claim is false. Truly false. I ensure due process was followed," Wharton said in an interview last week.

The Red River North MLA said a second technical review of the project and Indigenous consultations were underway as the election took place.

He said his government merely informed the NDP transition team that Sio Silica officials were curious to know about the timelines for approving their proposal.

"It's incumbent on us to ensure that we share that relevant information with the incoming government, which was done during the transition," Wharton said.

"The caretaker convention was 100 per cent respected, needs to be, and certainly that's the way our government conducted themselves. The incoming NDP government again was fully informed that the proponent — in this particular case Sio — sought clarity on timelines so that the government could make a licensing decision.

"So we got to the point where we handed the files over. We said 'Here you go.' "

Wharton said only politics can explain why Kinew and Klein, who campaigned strongly against each other during the provincial election, would both make similar allegations.

"My focus is always ensuring that we're creating economic development and jobs and a sustainable economy for Manitobans," he said. "That was my focus when I was outgoing and I continued to ensure that those files and that process, hopefully, would move on to the new government."

Kinew said the PC effort to push through approval for the Sio Silica proposal has led his government to apply more scrutiny to Sio Silica's proposal.

Environment Minister Kevin Klein is now claiming to have DNA evidence to support his ancestry claims. He's refused to answer questions about it, as he hints at legal action following a CBC News investigation into his ancestry claims. Former PC environment Minister Kevin Klein says he was asked to sign off the Sio Silica proposal during the transition period between the PC and NDP governments. He said he refused to do so.

 (Ian Froese/CBC)

"What that means in brass tacks, what that means in practice, is it has caused us to question the legwork that was done on the Sio project: the economic rationale, the environmental approval, the work that was done around consultation with Indigenous nations. We are revisiting all that," the premier said.

Officials with Sio Silica did not respond to requests for comment last week.

Kinew nonetheless insisted the NDP government wants to support the critical minerals sector in Manitoba. High-quality silica is one those minerals because it is sought by producers of solar panels, new batteries and semiconductors.

"I think there's a real case to be made that Manitoba has critical minerals like silica that can be brought to market with higher environmental standards, higher labour standards and respect for human rights, than almost any other jurisdiction in the world," Kinew said.

"So we're very interested in a project like Sio that could potentially drive economic development and help with greenhouse-gas emissions. But the way that the previous government tried to ram this through has caused us to take a step back and ask a lot of questions about the legwork leading up to a potential approval."

During the election, former NDP environment critic Lisa Naylor skirted questions about whether or not an NDP government would approve the Sio Silica proposal.

The file is now handled by Tracy Schmidt, the NDP minister of environment and climate change.

CLEAN COAL

Black lung cases increasing among US coal miners

Staff Writer | April 20, 2022 

(Image courtesy of the American Thoracic Society).

An international team of researchers from the US, Canada and South Africa found higher levels of silica dust in the lung tissue of contemporary coal miners working in central Appalachia compared to the lung tissue of previous generations of coal miners.


In a paper published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, the scientists explain that even though silica is safe in rock formations, breathing in silica dust is highly toxic and prolonged exposure to silica dust can lead to severe lung disease.



The study points out that from 1970 to 2005, the rate of black lung cases among coal miners had been declining, largely due to improved occupational health practices required by federal regulations. However, since 2005, black lung cases, in general, have seen a three-fold increase and long-term coal miners have seen a 10-fold increase in the number of people affected by the disease.

When comparing the lung tissue of the current generation of coal miners to lung tissue collected from miners from previous generations, silica seemed to be the common denominator that explains the previously unexplained rise in black lung cases.

“Mineralogic analysis showed the percentage (26.1% vs. 17.8%, p<0.01) and concentration (47.3 x 108 vs. 25.8 X 108 particles/cm3, p=0.036) of silica particles was significantly greater in specimens from contemporary miners compared to their historical counterparts,” the study reads.

The change in silica exposure among coal miners is likely explained by changing mining practices initially adopted in the 1950s, as the coal industry started using mechanized coal extraction devices. The powerful machinery enabled companies to extract large swaths of rock above and below the coal seams, which is much easier than mining focused on narrow veins of coal. This resulted in the generation of more silica dust.

In addition to providing an explanation, the study helps mine companies and federal regulators to better understand the steps that must be taken to prevent future cases of black lung.

“Reducing coal miner exposure to silica dust is essential to prevent further black lung cases,” Robert Cohen, lead author of the paper, said in a media statement. “This study provides clear, actionable evidence for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to establish specific silica dust exposure limits to protect coal miners from the known dangers of black lung disease.”

Cohen mentioned that the current MSHA silica standard of 100 ug/m3 was established in 1969 and has not been revised since. By contrast, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has established a much more protective silica exposure limit of 50 ug/m3 for other non-mining occupations. 

MSHA issues final rule to better protect miners from silica dust exposure

Staff Writer | April 17, 2024 | 3:13 pm Careers Education Suppliers & Equipment USA Coal
Stock image.

The US Department of Labor announced Tuesday that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a final rule to better protect the nation’s miners from health hazards associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica, also known as silica dust or quartz dust.


The final rule lowers the permissible exposure limit of respirable crystalline silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air for a full-shift exposure, calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average.

If a miner’s exposure exceeds the limit, the final rule requires mine operators to take immediate corrective actions to come into compliance.

“It is unconscionable that our nation’s miners have worked without adequate protection from silica dust despite it being a known health hazard for decades,” Acting Secretary Julie Su said in a media statement.

“Today, the Department of Labor has taken an important action to finally reduce miners’ exposure to toxic silica dust and protect them from suffering from preventable diseases,” she said.

The rule also requires mine operators to use engineering controls to prevent overexposures to silica dust and use dust samplings and environmental evaluations to monitor exposures.

It also compels metal and non-metal mine operators to establish medical surveillance programs to provide periodic health examinations at no cost to miners. The exams are similar to the medical surveillance programs available to coal miners under existing standards.

The final rule also replaces an outdated standard for respiratory protection with a new standard reflecting the latest advances in respiratory protection and practices. This update will better protect miners against airborne hazards, including silica dust, diesel particulate matter, asbestos and other contaminants.

Inhalation of respirable crystalline silica, a carcinogen, can cause serious lung and other diseases, such as silicosis, lung cancer, progressive massive fibrosis, chronic bronchitis and kidney disease.

Exposure to mixed coal mine dust containing respirable crystalline silica can lead to the development of black lung disease and progressive massive fibrosis. These diseases are irreversible and can be fatal. They are also preventable.

The rule will result in an estimated total of 1,067 lifetime avoided deaths and 3,746 lifetime avoided cases of silica-related illnesses, MSHA estimates.

After decades of delays and broken promises, coal miners hail rule to slow rise of black lung



Black Lung Silica Dust

Retired coal miner James Bounds, who has pneumoconiosis, more commonly known as “black lung," poses for a photo at his home in Oak Hill, W.Va., Thursday, July, 13, 2023. Bounds said nothing can be done to reverse the debilitating illness he was diagnosed with at 37 in 1984. But he doesn't want others to suffer the same fate. 

(AP Photo/Chris Jackson)

LEAH WILLINGHAM and MATTHEW DALY
Sun, July 23, 2023 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A half-century ago, the nation's top health experts urged the federal agency in charge of mine safety to adopt strict rules protecting miners from poisonous rock dust.

The inaction since — fueled by denials and lobbying from coal and other industries — has contributed to the premature deaths of thousands of miners from pneumoconiosis, more commonly known as “black lung." The problem has only grown in recent years as miners dig through more layers of rock to get to less accessible coal, generating deadly silica dust in the process.

One former regulator called the lack of protection from silica-related illnesses “stunning” and one of the most “catastrophic” occupational health failures in U.S. history.

Now the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has proposed a rule that would cut the current limit for silica exposure in half — a major victory for safety advocates. But there is skepticism and concern about the government following through after years of broken promises and delays.

James Bounds, a retired coal miner from Oak Hill, West Virginia, said nothing can be done to reverse the debilitating illness he was diagnosed with at 37 in 1984. But he doesn't want others to suffer the same fate.

“It’s not going to help me — I’m through mining,” said Bounds, 75, who now uses supplemental oxygen to breathe. “But we don’t want these young kids breathing like we do.”

The rule, published in the Federal Register this month, cuts the permissible exposure limit for silica dust from 100 to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air for an 8-hour shift in coal, metal and nonmetal mines such as sand and gravel.

The proposal is in line with exposure levels imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on construction and other non-mining industries. And it’s the standard The Centers for Disease Control was recommending as far back as 1974.

Silicosis is an occupational pneumoconiosis caused by the inhalation of crystalline silica dust present in minerals like sandstone. The U.S. Department of Labor began studying silica and its impact on workers’ health in the 1930s, but the focus on stopping exposure in the workplace largely bypassed coal miners.

Instead, regulations centered on coal dust, a separate hazard created by crushing or pulverizing coal rock that also contributes to black lung.

In the decades since, silica dust has become a major problem as Appalachian miners cut through layers of sandstone to reach less accessible coal seams in mountaintop mines where coal closer to the surface has long been tapped. Silica dust is 20 times more toxic than coal dust and causes severe forms of black lung disease even after a few years of exposure.

An estimated one in five tenured miners in Central Appalachia has black lung disease; one in 20 has the most disabling form of black lung.

Miners are also being diagnosed at younger ages — some in their 30s and others with the advanced kind in their 40s. "That’s just nuts,” said Dr. Carl Werntz, a West Virginia physician who conducts black lung examinations and described cases as “skyrocketing."

United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts said there's no reason a 35-year-old miner should be diagnosed with a disease "that's going to cost him his life.”

"Nobody should be dying because of a job they have," Roberts said.

MSHA’s existing silica standards were developed in the 1970s, around the time of the U.S. Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.

West Virginia University law professor Pat McGinley, who was part of a state team investigating the 2010 Upper Big Branch mining disaster that killed 29 miners, called the resurgence of black lung “unparalleled” when it comes to occupational health failures. In the Upper Big Branch mine, 71% of the 24 miners who received autopsies were found to have black lung.

“I can’t think of any occupation where there has been such devastation that’s been ignored" by corporations and the government, he said. “It's stunning.”

The new rule is supported by Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, who pushed for the change and released a joint statement saying protecting miners from "dangerous levels of silica cannot wait.”

MSHA will be collecting comments on the proposal through Aug. 28, with three hearings scheduled in Arlington, Virginia, Beckley, West Virginia, and Denver.

One issue expected to come up: the use of respiratory protection equipment.

The National Mining Association, which represents mine operators, wants workers to be permitted to use respirators as a method of compliance with the rule.

“These are recognized industrial hygiene practices utilized by″ federal regulators in other industries, “but not in mining,″ spokesman Conor Bernstein said, adding that better ventilation controls, safety awareness and regulations on coal dust have all contributed to ”exponentially lower dust levels” inside U.S. mines in recent years.

The mine workers' union and others, however, say respirators are ineffective while performing heavy labor in hot, confined spaces common in mines. The proposed rule allows for the use of respirators on a temporary basis while operators are implementing engineering controls. But advocates say inspectors aren't present often enough to ensure they don't become a permanent solution.

“The history of miner safety and health enforcement teaches us that exceptions become the rule,” said Sam Petsonk, a West Virginia attorney who represented miners who were diagnosed with black lung after operators knowingly violated regulations.

The proposed rule also includes a provision that allows companies to self-report silica levels. Federal inspectors conduct spot checks to ensure accuracy, but mine operators still have leeway to manipulate reporting data, said Willie Dodson, Central Appalachian field coordinator for Appalachian Voices, an advocacy group.

“Ideally, MSHA inspectors would take samples day after day after day in a given mine to determine compliance,″ he said.

A coal dust examiner who worked for a Kentucky mining company was sentenced to six months in prison last month for falsifying dust samples and lying to federal officials.

In rural Nickelsville, Virginia, near the Tennessee border, Vonda Robinson says miners and their families are owed more accountability from the federal government and mine operators. Her husband John was diagnosed with black lung about a decade ago at 47. Now, his doctors say he will need a lung transplant.

Vonda Robinson said her husband doesn't know what to say when his 5-year-old granddaughter asks why he can't run and play with her, why even walking down the end of the driveway leaves him physically spent.

"He’ll tell her ‘Honey, papaw can't do that,' " she said.

During his 28 years mining, John Robinson would come home with his face covered with dust. But she tried not to worry. Everyone in the community mined coal.

“He was one of those that wanted to go in the mines to give his family the American dream — the nice house, vehicles, put our kids through college,” she said. "And this is what he got."

___

Daly reported from Washington.

What is frac sand?  

Frac sand is a type of sand with small, uniform particles. It is injected into the rock formation along with the water used to fracture the rock in the process known as hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"). The sand is used to prop open the fractures that are created. Because the particles are uniform, fluids like water, oil, and gas are able to flow through the spaces between the particles. Frac sand is currently mined in a range of states, with the Great Lakes Region, consisting of Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin, contributing approximately 70% of the silica sand used in America as a proppant in 2014.

Learn More 

Mining: Frac Sand (Webpage), Wisconsin Geological Survey
A short overview of frac sand, where it is found, and how it is mined, with links to other resources.
Frac Sand in the United States (Report), U.S. Geological Survey
A geological and industry overview of frac sand mining in the U.S.
DNR and Silica Sand (Webpage and Map), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Webpage on frac sand mining in Minnesota, with information on relevant legislation, answers to frequently asked questions about frac sand, and a map of sand mines in Minnesota.




Frac Sand Health and Environmental Impacts

Sand is critical to fracking. After workers drill down into rock, they create fractures by pumping in a mixture of water, chemicals and sand. The sand keeps the cracks propped open so that oil and gas are released.

Frac sand mining creates significant air pollution from the handling, mining, and processing of the sand. The important sources of air emissions come from the tiny dust particles – known as particulate matter – scattered during mining and processing.

These tiny dust particles, usually only a few microns in diameter, when inhaled in the lungs can lead to Silicosis – cancer of the lungs that poses a danger to miners and nearby communities.

Frac sand linked to lung disease in workers

The chronic silicosis caused by silica exposure poses unique dangers for employees working at frac sand mining sites. Because long-term exposure can be fatal, the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued draft regulations designed to reduce the health risk and previously issued a hazard alert.

Sand is basically silica — and breathing in silica is one of the oldest known workplace dangers. Inside the lungs, exposure to the tiny particles has been shown to sometimes lead to serious lung diseases like silicosis and lung cancer.

Workplace safety expert Eric Esswein and his team visited 11 fracking sites in five states: Arkansas, Colorado, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Texas. At every site, the researchers found high levels of silica in the air. It turned out that 79 percent of the collected samples exceeded the recommended exposure limit set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

There were some controls in place, says Esswein, who notes that “at every site that we went to, workers wore respirators.”

But about a third of the air samples they collected had such high levels of silica, that the type of respirators typically worn wouldn't offer enough protection.

Neighbors fear for their health

Wisconsinites and Minnesotans (the two states producing most of the frac sand) who live around frac sand mining, processing and transportation facilities are concerned about the long term impacts of their exposure to silica dust.

As a result, some local governments have enacted bans and moratoria.

Mining puts water at risk

Frac sand processing also poses dangers to water sources. Miners commonly use chemicals called flocculants to clean, wash, or remove unwanted minerals or other fine particles from the processed sand. These chemicals can infiltrate in to groundwater after washing.

Long term exposure to common flocculants like polyacrylamides and acrylamides in high concentrations of drinking water can lead to nervous system, blood problems or increased risk of cancer.

Neither the federal nor state governments have developed drinking water standards for flocculants.

For More Information

EARTHblog Frack sand mining doesn't just suck, it blows

EARTHblog In Frac Sand Land, Residents Have Little Protection Against Silica Dust Exposure

NPR Sand From Fracking Could Pose Lung Disease Risk To Workers

OSHA Worker Exposure to Silica during Hydraulic Fracturing

Price of Sand Film

CDC Silica

Civil Society Institute Communities At Risk: Frac Sand Mining in the Upper Midwest


What is Frac Sand?

Frac sand is a high-purity quartz sand with very round grains. It is very durable and provides a crush-resistant material used in the oil and gas industry for hydraulic fracturing (also called “fracking). Rock units composed of quartz grains that have gone through multiple cycles of weathering and erosion are potential sources of frac sand material. This evolution has removed most mineral grains other than quartz resulting in grains with very round shapes.

The demand for frac sand has risen dramatically in recent years as an increasing number of oil and natural gas wells use the hydraulic fracturing process. A single well using hydraulic fracturing can use a few thousand tons of frac sand. The surge of specialized drilling has created a billion dollar frac sand industry in just a few years.
How Frac Sand is Used

Some subsurface rock contains large amounts of oil, natural gas, or natural gas liquids that cannot flow freely to a well because the rock is impermeable to the degree that the fluids cannot flow through them. The fracking process presents a solution by creating fractures in the rock.

This is accomplished by drilling a well into the rock and sealing the portion of the well in the petroleum-bearing zone. Water treated with chemicals and thickeners to create a viscous gel is then pumped into that portion of the well using a high pressure process. The gel facilitates the water’s ability to carry grains of frac sand in a suspended state.

Large pumps at the surface increase water pressure in the sealed portion of the well until pressure is sufficient to fracture surrounding rocks. Water rushes rapidly through the fractures, making them larger and pushing them deeper into the rock. Because billions of sand grains are pushed deep into the fractures, it can take several thousand tons of frac sand to stimulate a single well.

Why Frac Sand Makes a Good Proppant

After the surface pumps are turned off, the fractures contract but do not close completely because they are propped open by billions of grains of frac sand. This occurs when there is sufficient sand remaining in the rock to resist the force of the closing fractures.

Frac sand is known as a “proppant” because it props the fractures open by forming a network of pore spaces that allow petroleum fluids to flow out of the rock and into the well. Although there are other types of proppants available, depending on the type of well, frac sand often delivers the highest performance.

Characteristics of High Quality Frac Sand

Proppants used in the petroleum industry must meet very demanding specifications. The typical characteristics of high quality frac sand include:

high-purity silica sand

a grain size that is perfectly matched to job requirements

a round shape that allows it to be carried in hydraulic fracturing fluid with little turbulence
durability to resist the crushing forces of closing fractures

Frac sand comes in various sizes. It can be as small as 0.1 millimeter in diameter to over 2 millimeters in diameter. Most frac sand used in the oil and gas industry is between 0.4 and 0.8 millimeters in size. 

Understand the frac sand mining process - YouTube

▶ 2:34
- Uploaded by WKBT TV Frac sand mining is the mining of sand that is used in the fracking process to get oil and natural gas out of the

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=FRAC

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=FRACKING

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=SAND

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=FRAC+SAND