Thanks to council for recognizing coal risk
By Lethbridge Herald on March 5, 2025.
Editor,
Kudos to Lethbridge City Council for unanimously reconfirming its commitment to protecting our water. The City of Lethbridge has joined a number of other communities in the region to express concerns about water quality being adversely affected by the impacts of coal mining in the headwaters of the eastern slopes.
Council’s resolution recognized the risk to the source of our drinking water and that “Lethbridge’s and southern Alberta’s economy and jobs may be impacted long-term if water quality issues affect the quality of our irrigation water and the reputation of our agri-food processing hubs may be damaged for years.”
A Joint Review Panel was convened for the Grassy Mountain coal project to gather relevant research and examine expert testimony on the social, economic and environmental impacts of a mountain-top coal mine in the headwaters of the Oldman River.
It was a thorough process based on best evidence and the Joint Review Panel decided in 2021 that this project was not in the public interest.
The Joint Review Panel report identified impacts to species-at-risk in the region; risk of contamination to surface and ground-water systems; risks of air pollution; and that the project did not properly consider economic risks in its evaluation, while overstating future royalty payments.
There was no cost evaluation for the long-term treatment of water (long after the coal mine would be in operation) and dubious commitments for environmental restoration after mine closure.
Overall, this project is not good for people, it is not good for the environment, and it is not good for the citizen-taxpayer. The Government of Alberta has recently lifted the moratorium on coal mining in the eastern slopes and has, again, rescinded the 1976 Coal Policy for Alberta.
This effectively allows coal mining companies to advance their projects in the near term. In the absence of a coal policy in the province, it is important that we make every effort protect our long-term interests.
Your representatives in the Government of Alberta are likely eager to hear your perspectives on allowing high-risk, low-gain, surface coal mining in our headwaters.
Braum Barber
Southern Alberta Group for the Environment (SAGE)
13-12
Good letter. Says it all.
Why in the world would we risk our water, our land, our agrifood economy, and our health for a sunset industry?