All politicians involved in the Eastern Slopes coal mining issue will be reviled in 30 years

By Letter to the Editor on April 23, 2021.

Editor: Open letter to Minister Nixon and MLA Neudorf:
It is impossible to create new open-pit coalmines in the Eastern Slopes without using water that currently flows out of the mountains and across southern Alberta.
You are making clever and deceitful use of definitions to make it appear that you are following your own regulations – “the letter of the law”. In fact, you are making major changes. The South Saskatchewan River Basin has been closed to new water licence applications since 2007. You have promised Benga the water they require and yet, as you said in a recent letter to me, “We have not altered anything regarding water allocations from the Oldman River Basin and further, proposed changes that were discussed with stakeholders would not increase water set aside for industrial use.”
Benga is requesting 150 acre feet per year from the existing Industrial Purposes allocation – no change to the allocation, just a change to the user/recipient. Benga wants another 130 acre feet, to be obtained by diversion from the Crowsnest River – no change in allocation here!
Benga is currently taking another 203 acre feet, diversion (not reallocation) from York Creek. (All info from the UofC Law Faculty “Water for Coal Developments”.) For those of us who are used to litres, this total is over 600 million litres of water – water which will no longer be flowing into Southern Alberta once these mines are operational and regardless of your clever language.
Premier Peter Lougheed is revered today, over 30 years since he last served as Premier. In less than 30 years from today, my bet is that the names of all those involved in this unspeakable tragedy will be reviled.
Sincerely
Leslie Lavers
Lethbridge