Manitoba Environment Minister Dismisses Appeals Against Chinese Miner’s Licence

The Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg in a file photo. The Canadian Press/John Woods

Manitoba’s environment minister has dismissed appeals against the decision to grant a a new environmental licence to a Chinese-owned mining project near a lake in eastern Manitoba, after the provincial cabinet issued an order granting him the authority to do so.

Manitoba’s NDP cabinet issued an order in council on July 16, giving Environment Minister Mike Moyes the authority to dismiss appeals against an environmental licence granted to Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Ltd.—also known as TANCO—to expand operations through a new tailings reprocessing facility. Such facilities are designed to store and manage waste materials produced during mining operations.

The cabinet said the minister reviewed the appeals and determined the concerns contained in them had already been addressed before deciding to dismiss them.

“Approval is given to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to dismiss the appeals that were filed with respect to Environment Act Licence No. 973 R, pursuant to section 27(2)(d) of The Environment Act,” reads the order, referencing the licence number issued for the mining company.

“The issues raised by the appellants were similar to those raised during the public review period and were addressed during the environmental assessment process through licensing conditions.”

TANCO is owned by Beijing-based Sinomine Resource Group and operates a mine near Whiteshell Provincial Park, more than 150 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. The site produces tantalum, lithium, and cesium. It is one of the world’s largest sources of cesium, and one of Canada’s largest tantalum reserves.

TANCO filed its proposal for the construction of a tailings reprocessing facility in May 2021, and the proposal was later opened for public review. A total of 49 comments were received from the public, most of them related to traffic, road safety, and water quality.

Some comments were submitted on behalf of the Bird River Cottage Owners Association, which represents residents living near the mine in the Bird River area. The association expressed concern over “increased traffic, safety, noise, impacts to environment, wildlife and water bodies.”

“The Province of Manitoba should not approve a project of this magnitude until some of the unknown processes have been determined,” reads a Jan. 6, 2023, comment by the association’s president Carlene Strand.

“Residents and cottage owners that have enjoyed the natural beauty of Bird River for the last several decades should be able to continue to do so safely, and peacefully for decades to come.”

TANCO’s licence was issued on Aug. 27, 2024, with the province saying the project’s potential environmental effects and mitigation measures had been addressed during the environmental assessment and licensing process.

However, the province’s environment minister later received four appeals challenging the licensing decision, as permitted by regulations. In granting the minister the authority to dismiss them, the cabinet said the appeals contained concerns similar to those raised during the public review, and that they had been addressed.

‘Conflicting Scenario’

Hank Krueger, executive member of the Bird River Cottage Owners Association, says the group is “disappointed” with the minister’s decision to dismiss the appeals.

“While the Minister’s decision is in accordance with the Manitoba Environment Act, it is [a] conflicting scenario where an appeal goes to the same person who made the original decision,” he told The Epoch Times in a statement.

“The Manitoba provincial government can refer potentially contentious environmental projects to an independent, arm’s-length Clean Environment Commission for review.”

Minister Moyes says protecting the environment is a priority for the province, and that this is why the “concerns raised by Manitobans and experts were directly addressed through licensing conditions for this project.”

“We know Manitobans want a healthy environment for their children and our government is committed to protecting our environment for generations to come,” he told The Epoch Times in a statement.

Chinese Firm

TANCO’s owner, Sinomine, has previously come under scrutiny in Canada for its involvement in the critical minerals sector. In 2022, it was one of three Chinese companies ordered by Ottawa to divest from Canadian critical mineral firms.

The federal government said at the time the decision stemmed from a national security review.

“While Canada continues to welcome foreign direct investment, we will act decisively when investments threaten our national security and our critical minerals supply chains, both at home and abroad,” then-Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a Nov. 2, 2022, statement.

China has been vying for dominance in the critical minerals and metals sector, vital for producing components used in everything from wind turbines and electric vehicles to laptops, solar panels, and rechargeable batteries.

Sinomine had to sell its investments in Vancouver-based Power Metals Corp, which explores and develops cesium, lithium, and tantalum assets in Canada. However, it retained ownership of the TANCO mine.