Mines a peril to us

By Letter to the Editor on April 1, 2021.

Editor: I live in west Lethbridge and experienced the 120-140 km winds over the weekend..
We were not evacuated but most of us on this edge of town had packed our vehicles. It was terrifying.
By this time next year, if our protests fail, we will have an open pit coal mine in the Pass, right where those gale-force winds funnel through.
Scientists have told us that we will experience water-born selenium contamination from the Old Man River system.
In addition, the contamination caused by wind will be severe as well. This is a form of contamination most other coal areas don’t experience.
As we watched and waited yesterday, we were all thinking of next year – when we might experience wind damage, grass fires, and massive selenium contamination in the air we breathe.
It’s critical that our MLAs recognize the perils we are facing with these mines.
Leslie Lavers
Lethbridge