Water for Food voices concerns over coal mining’s impact on ag sector
By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on January 30, 2025.
Southern Alberta is known for its vast farmland, which contributes billions of dollars to the economy and Chris Spearman fears the proposed Grassy Mountain Coal Mine will negatively impact the agri-food sector and southern Alberta.
Spearman, former Lethbridge mayor and a spokesman for the group Water For Food, says he was alarmed at the Dec. 20 announcement and is wondering why the Albertan government would jeopardize the economy for a project that has a limited life span.
“My question to the Government of Alberta is why would you jeopardize (the agriculture economy) by building a cola mine that’ll only generate 400 over a limited life of 25 years at the max.”
The Oldman River provides water for a significant portion of Canada’s irrigated land and, according to a scientific paper titled Environmental Pollution, Volume 344 by Colin A. Cooke, Craig A. Emmerton and Paul E. Drevnick, published March 1, 2024, water samples collected downstream from historical coal mines contained selenium. The paper suggests that, if the Grassy Mountain Coal Mine were to open, it would have devastating effects to the Oldman River.
“Selenium concentrations downstream of Tent Mountain reached 185 ug/L in a lake below the mine spoil pile an up to 23 ug/L in Crowsnest Creek, which drains the lake and the mine property,” says Spearman.
Studies suggest that once selenium poisoning is found in water, it’s already too late. Its effects can’t be reversed and there are no ways to remove selenium to make it safe to drink.
Spearman says if selenium is found in our agriculture, it will cause a situation much like the “mad cow” scare that affected Alberta 20 years ago.
“When excess selenium levels are found in our agricultural products, and we export about 14 billion worth of those annually, our economy will shut down,” Spearman says. “Some people will remember when one mad cow was identified in Alberta about 20 years ago and nobody would buy beef from Alberta, all of our exports shut down for about a year.”
Spearman adds that unlike the one case of mad cow, selenium poisoning can last for up to 20 years after the mine is closed.
It’s not just the irrigated crops that are going to be affected if selenium poisoning is detected in the Oldman River. Some 200,000 people depend on the Oldman River for drinking water.
Many municipalities, including Lethbridge, take water from the Oldman and process it through their treatment plants. Its then used for drinking water and by major agrifood businesses such as Cavendish, Frito-Lay and Richardson Oil Seeds use the water to manufacture goods.
Spearman says he is asking the Government of Alberta what its backup plan is if the Old Man River is contaminated and becomes unsafe to consume.
“My next question to the Alberta Government is, when you contaminate the Oldman River with selenium and make the water unfit for human consumption and we can no longer make portable water from the Oldman River, what is their solution? What’s the backup source of water for cooking and food processing plants?”
According to a study done by Brad Stelfox a landscape ecologist for ALCES, coal mines use a significant amount of water year-round and will impact waterflow through the Oldman River and reservoir, which have already seen low levels from droughts in recent years. The study suggests a mine will result in additional water shortages.
Southern Alberta is known for its wind, with gusts often reaching 100km/hr during chinooks. When the exposed coal rocks get wet, they will release contaminates downstream, and when it is dry coal dust along with its contaminates will blow all over southern Alberta, with no way to control it.
In 2021, Brian Jean was critical of Jason Kenney’s proposed coal policy saying, “he should consult Albertans on whether we want to put a moratorium on new coal development in the southern foothills.”
Four years later he is now creating new coal policies, without consulting Albertans.
Spearman says if Albertans were mad four years ago, they should be even more angry now.
“I always say to people ‘if you were mad four years ago, you should be really mad now that it’s come back again.”
20-19
An excellent description of the insanity behind these coal mines Mr. Spearman. Research on the western slopes shows that coal dust coats the snowpack. This causes selenium to contaminate the precious melt water that nourishes us. The dark coating absorbs sunlight and results in faster melting. It’s a crazy scenario for very little gain.