Watershed coal mining focus of SACPA talk
Poll
Yes
Dale Woodard Lethbridge Herald
The long-term impacts on coal mining in the Oldman River Watershed was the topic as the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs met Thursday morning.
Onhand as this week’s guest speaker was Shannon Frank, executive director of the Oldman Watershed Council, who delved into what’s is currently happening in the Oldman Watershed with regards to coal mines and what the long-term impacts of coal mining are likely to be.
There has been significant interest in establishing metallurgical coal mining operations throughout the eastern slopes of Alberta and the areas residing within the Oldman Watershed are no exception. Currently, there are four companies exploring potential mining operations in the region. All the currently proposed coal mines are open-pit “mountain top removal” mines and are located in the Crowsnest Pass area. Coal mining exploration is also happening along the Livingstone R
Addressing the Coal Policy
Yes
Nathan Neudorf – MLA, Lethbridge East
In the recent weeks I’ve heard many questions and concerns voiced about the 1976 Coal Policy. I know the environment and protection of our natural spaces is a very important issue to Albertans and I want to clear the air about what the recent policy updates actually represent. In response to the concerns raised by Albertans about the lack of clarity on project development, we reinstated the 1976 Coal Policy, including the 4 coal categories, on February 8. With the Environmental Enhancement Act and the Eastern Slopes Coal Policy, and now the return of the four categories, we have stronger and clearer protections for our environment than ever before, but there is more work to do.
How Alberta’s energy and environment ministers misled on open-pit mining plans.
Tyee contributing editor Andrew Nikiforuk is an award-winning journalist whose books and articles focus on epidemics, the energy industry, nature and more. SHARES Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage with Premier Jason Kenney at a 2019 press conference. Neither made a public appearance in the face of a public backlash against the government’s easing of coal mining.
Photo by Jason Franson, the Canadian Press.
Last week Alberta’s government tried to hide political reality by issuing statements implying the “passion” of citizens had convinced it to back off its efforts to bring open-pit coal mining to a vast, ecologically-vital portion of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Posted:
January 24, 2021
By David B Savage
Op-Ed Commentary
Imagine you have worked hard all your life and have a beautiful 160 acres of treed land with a creek and a cabin. You go there as much as possible for the nature, the solitude, the community and the wonder. You bring family and friends up to your mountain cabin and plan to spend the majority of your days there in the coming years.
And then an Australian coal mining company buys up the lands right next door. You sense your dreams are being killed. You fear the impact of their mountain top removal plan will devastate the land, air, water and the value of your special place.
Energy metals snapshot: Eight companies advancing assets for a greener future northernminer.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from northernminer.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.