Summary

• Provincial ministers have issued an environmental assessment certificate for the Angus silica sand mine, which allows the project to proceed to permitting
• The certificate includes 19 legally binding conditions, with requirements for air quality, wildlife protection, greenhouse-gas reduction, health and emergency planning, and ongoing monitoring of impacts to First Nations
• The Angus project is expected to generate approximately 150 jobs and $300 million in investment, supporting local and First Nations employment and training opportunities​

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The Province of British Columbia has issued an environmental assessment certificate to Vitreo Minerals Ltd. for its Angus silica sand mine north of Prince George.

Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks, and Jagrup Brar, Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals, made the decision after carefully considering the Environmental Assessment Office’s (EAO) assessment report and recommendations, along with input from First Nations, technical experts, local communities and the public. An environmental assessment certificate is required for the project to proceed.

The EAO’s assessment of the project concluded that the Angus project would not cause significant adverse effects once mitigation measures and proposed conditions are applied. The EAO determined that the mine would provide economic benefits through jobs, business activity and government revenue, as well as supply a product domestically that is currently imported from the United States.

The Angus project will provide a local source of silica sand and have a mine life of approximately 20 years. The project is expected to generate approximately 150 jobs during construction and nearly 140 jobs throughout operations, supporting local and First Nations employment and training, along with $300 million in investment.

The environmental assessment certificate contains 19 legally binding conditions, including requirements for air-quality controls and monitoring, wildlife and vegetation protection, greenhouse-gas reduction measures, health and emergency planning, public information and a mechanism for providing community feedback, ongoing monitoring of impacts to First Nations, and local hiring and training opportunities.

The EAO sought consensus with participating Indigenous Nations throughout its assessment at key milestones. First Nations participating in the assessment included Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Tsay Keh Dene Nation and West Moberly First Nations.

The Angus project entered the environmental assessment process in July 2023, and the assessment took less than three years to complete. Under the environmental assessment certificate, the mine project must be substantially started by 2036.

Every project that undergoes an environmental assessment is reviewed comprehensively to determine the potential environmental, economic, social, cultural and health effects, and impacts on First Nations and their rights. Compliance and enforcement officers will monitor the Angus project throughout construction, operations and closure to ensure all requirements of its environmental assessment certificate are met.

Quick Facts:

• The Angus project is a new open-pit silica sand mine to be located approximately 60 kilometres north of Prince George, near Bear Lake.
• The mine’s production will provide a local supply to reduce silica sand imported from the U.S., reducing transportation distances and cutting greenhouse-gas emissions compared to importing materials.
• The project will include a mine, raw sand plant, finishing plant, water management infrastructure and external stockpiles of waste rock and raw sand.
• The project will produce as much as two million tonnes of silica sand annually over its 20-year mine life.
• Silica sand, also known as proppant, is used during crude oil and natural gas extraction.

Learn More:

• Ministers’ reasons for decision: https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/public/document/6a550a67b28e7c957c5c0919/download/Angus%20Ministers%20Reasons%20SIGNED.pdf
• Documentation ministers considered in making their decision: https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/647e19af81de4d0022bf1d42/documents?keywords=Angus_Decision_13-07-26&sortBy=-score&currentPage=1
• For more information about the environmental assessment process, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/environmental-assessments