A proposed project must go through the Environmental Assessment Process in order to proceed with development in Saskatchewan.
Figure 1. Environmental Assessment Process Overview
The Southey Project has been through a rigorous Eviromental Assessment. The Yancoal Southey Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was submitted to the Ministry of Environment (MOE) and the Saskatchewan Environmental Assessment Review Panel (SEARP) for review in July of 2015. This document details the environmental assessment completed by a third party (Golder Associates Ltd.), and provides all of the information the regulators and the public needed to make a decision about the project. The technical review by the Provincial Government was completed in March of 2016. The MOE and SEARP concluded that the EIS was technically sufficient and that adequate public engagement had occurred during the early stages of project planning. The EIS was released through the Provincial Government for public comment in April of 2016 and the comment period was closed June 6, 2016. Following the public comment period the Minister takes into consideration the enviromental assessment findings and the input from the public to determine if adequate safeguards and protection of the enviroment will be in place. The Minister's Decision to approve the project with conditions was communicated on August 9, 2016.
The finalized Yancoal Southey Project EIS can be found here: