NOKOMIS - Construction Superintendent, Gene Cochrane of K+S, attended the RM of Dufferin Council meeting on June 10th, 2022. He said he wanted to introduce himself to the new council and provide an update.
Cochrane told the council he wanted to build a relationship with the RM. “We are going to be there for a long long time, so we are looking for ways to work together to make some improvements.” With the expansion of the mine, Cochrane said the mine’s footprint would be a little bit bigger, and the number of well-pads would increase. K + S submitted a development permit to the RM for an additional Well-pad with plans to add Well-pads at a rate of one to two per year.
The council will get a tour of the mine as Cochrane offered to arrange a tour and a high-level presentation explaining the solution mining process.
Addressing several questions of the council, he said that the initial production when it was built was 2.86 million tonnes per year, and there is still some capacity available with the existing plant.
Reeve Russ Kirzinger commented, “The majority of the people are happy that the mine is there. We appreciate the mine being there and what it does for our tax base and the quality of life that we can have in the RM. But equally, understand that there are challenges regarding the extra traffic and effects on rural living. As the mine expands we hope we can learn from the first expansion. The RM is excited about the prospect of Buffalo Potash coming into the RM.”
Kirzinger said with any development; there are complications. “The RM needs to have enough foresight to address now.”
