Lethbridge City Council calling for public consultation on coal mining projects

Feb 10, 2021 | 8:56 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge City Council is voicing its thoughts on any current and future coal mining projects on the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies.

On Tuesday, city council voted unanimously to support other communities in their on-going efforts and directed Lethbridge mayor Chris Spearman to write a letter to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.

Spearman will also address the letter to the Ministers of Environment and Energy and the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change to:

Thank the Government of Alberta for reinstating the 1976 coal policy
Bring forward a comprehensive public consultation on proposed changes to the 1976 policy
Complete a thorough and complete analysis of potential water quality impacts from mining operations, including but not limited to, higher levels of selenium in the river systems
To review the Mine Financial Security Program to ensure that it is properly financed to ensure reclamation of any project that may go ahead
A full stop on any and all Watershed Water Allocation amendments, including those in the Oldman Watershed, pending public consultation on a new Alberta Coal Policy and comprehensive review of the potential watershed impacts on the Oldman Basin
Support on the Stop Work Orders for all existing exploration
Invite the two Lethbridge MLAs and the Members of Parliament for Lethbridge to a conversation with Lethbridge City Council on these matters, and to forward a copy of the letter to them.

Earlier this week, the province announced the reinstatement of the 1976 coal policy.

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As Lethbridge is downstream and gets its water from the Oldman River, any proposed projects could potentially affect the water quality in the entire Oldman Watershed. City council members say they want their position to be heard.

“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,” said councillor Rob Miyashiro, who co-moved the resolution with councillor Belinda Crowson.

“Lethbridge and surrounding communities obtain their drinking water from the Oldman River and do not have the ability, as other communities affected by selenium pollution do, of digging a new well or finding a new source of water,” Crowson said.

“There is at present, little scientific information on how to address selenium at the water treatment level and there are growing concerns among other southern Alberta communities. This is about both quality and quantity of water. A large part of our amendments focused on that point and the potential detrimental effects on agriculture, industry and people in worst case scenarios.”

Back in October, council voted for mayor Chris Spearman to send a letter to Alberta’s Minister of Environment & Parks, copying the Premier and the MLA for Lethbridge-East.

That letter focused on council’s concerns regarding water quality and also referenced the Oldman Watershed Council Submission to the Joint Review Panel on the Grassy Mountain Coal Project and Proposed Open Coal Mining in the Headwaters Region of the Oldman River.

The letter was sent out last month.

Further information on water treatment and water quality in Lethbridge can be found here and here.

by Justin Goulet