Blood Tribe to launch legal challenge over Coal Policy
By Tim Kalinowski on February 2, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com
The Kainai-Blood Tribe will be launching a legal challenge against the Government of Alberta over its decision to unilaterally rescind the 1976 Coal Policy.
A community notice posted on the tribe’s website on Thursday announced its intention to pursue this course of legal action.
“Under the Policy,” the statement reads in part, “open pit mining was not permitted in Category 2 lands in the Rocky Mountains to protect the headwaters of several major river systems and critical fish and wildlife habitat, particularly in highly sensitive areas of the Crowsnest Pass Region. The legal challenge was filed jointly with the Siksika Nation on November 25, 2020 and will be heard by the courts sometime in 2021.”
While opposed to coal mining in what were formerly Category 2 lands, the Blood Tribe leadership, which has faced some backlash from its community members over the issue, did reach an agreement with mining giant Benga last November over its plans to mine in Grassy Mountain which sits in Category 4 lands under the old definitions. Included in the agreement was a duty to consult with the tribe as mining goes ahead with its operations to ensure proper reclamation in the aftermath and ongoing oversight by an Environmental Stewardship Committee which includes Blood Tribe members.
However, it appears this mutual agreement with Benga over Grassy Mountain coal does not extend to other coal mining proposals now being considered by the Kenney government on the Eastern Slopes.
“Over the past few years,” the statement reads in a later passage, “Kainai has clearly and strongly communicated to the Government of Alberta and the coal sector that open pit mining in the areas protected under the Coal Policy would be opposed by Kainai.
“Alberta’s regulatory system is limited to assessing environmental impacts of projects in isolation from one another and other regional factors. Kainai is deeply concerned that without a rigorous assessment of cumulative impacts and robust protection of river basins, the approval of mining in formerly protected Category 2 lands will be an environmental disaster that cannot be undone. Similar mining developments just a few kilometers to the west in BC’s Elk Valley have decimated the Fording and Elk Rivers and had major impacts on the environment. Many communities in the Elk Valley now truck in their water supply because the rivers are not safe for human consumption.”
The statement concludes it does not accept the Alberta government’s assertions it is committed to “responsible development” in the Eastern Slopes, particularly in light of its decision to unilaterally rescind the 1976 Coal Policy without any public input or consultation.
“Kainai has a connection to the Crowsnest Pass region that dates back more than ten thousand years,” it reads. “The headwaters of the Oldman River Basin are sacred to the Blackfoot Nations and their way of life. Alberta acknowledges this reality in its land use plans for the region, and committed to consulting Kainai and other First Nations on key decisions. Even so, the Government of Alberta made its hasty decision to strip protection of the area without any consultation. Recent announcements by the Minister of Energy cancelling a handful of coal leases and general assurances from the Minister of Environment about ‘responsible development’ are merely political gestures and will not protect these fragile and highly valued areas of the Rocky Mountains.”
The Herald did try to reach out to Chief Roy Fox of the Blood Tribe for further comment on this story, but did not hear back from him prior to press time.
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Good, I hope they win.
Let’s oppose everything to do with natural resource development. We don’t need oil and gas, mining, logging, trucks and planes burning diesel to bring goods to our stores. What about all those farmers using pesticides, lets make everybody farm organically. Those ranchers whose cows, pigs and sheep are defecating how many times a day leaching into our watershed.
Selenium an issue yes, Teck is spending $1.5 billion to fix that issue. I think we are now up to 7 two headed fish in the Elk river in the last ten years.
Jobs why would we want 1200 direct and indirect $100,000 a year jobs when we could all be sitting at home waiting for Justin to send us a CERB check.
Ugly you bet strip mines are ugly until they are reclaimed, take a drive east of Pincher Creek and look at all the windmills you want to see ugly.
If we can’t develop natural resources in Alberta where should they come from, or are we all including the celebrities going to stop driving our steel vehicles, flying around the country, going to concerts with 10,000 other people burning fossil fuels.
We could live in caves, gather berries and nuts. Then we would be starved to death because we are taking the food supply away from the grizzly bears.
Many people like berries and nuts, Jack.
As far as I know, nobody is comparing the beauty between a windmill and an open pit coal mine.