What is Happening in Alberta?
- It all began when Alberta’s United Conservative Party government got rid of a decades-old policy that prevented coal companies from surface mining in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
- This policy was a system of land classification that prohibited surface coal mining in more than a million hectares of the foothills and Rocky Mountains
- The change came without a public consultation period and came into effect in June in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and went unnoticed at the beginning.
- Alberta is the second-largest producer of coal in Canada and the UCP government has proposed coal mining as a way forward for the province’s economy, particularly in light of job losses in the oil patch during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The provincial economy was hit hard this year, first by the oil price war between Russia and Saudia Arabia, then by an unprecedented plunge in demand for oil due to the pandemic. And as restaurants, movie theatres, hair salons and many other businesses closed their doors due to coronavirus, unemployment shot up.
- “Rescinding the outdated coal policy in favour of modern oversight will help attract new investment for an important industry and protect jobs for Albertans,” Energy Minister Sonya Savage said in a statement at the time.
- Many people are against this proposal beacuse coal mining will have disasterous impacts on the surrounding enviroment and communities
- “You could say they used the public health emergency as a cloak to defend against any criticism that might attract.” said Shaun Fluker, an associate law professor at the University of Calgary
- In addition to opening up protected areas to mining, the Alberta government is also proposing a plan that would allow it to give away some water allocations to coal companies. Under the proposed changes, billions of litres of water could be made available to coal companies for free at the expense of surrounding communities.
Category 1 lands where coal leasing, exploration and development were not permitted will continue to be protected.
Previously, surface mining was banned on category 2 lands, which included parts of the Rocky Mountains and the Foothills, and exploration and underground development was limited. Exploration was allowed on lands listed as category 3 under the normal process but development in these areas was restricted. Now, restrictions on category 2 and 3 lands have been removed.
Previously, surface mining was banned on category 2 lands, which included parts of the Rocky Mountains and the Foothills, and exploration and underground development was limited. Exploration was allowed on lands listed as category 3 under the normal process but development in these areas was restricted. Now, restrictions on category 2 and 3 lands have been removed.
Who is Affected by Coal Mining in Alberta?
FIRST NATIONS
- Affected First Nation groups were not consulted before the government made the desecion to remove the land classification
- “We have three numbered treaties in Alberta 6, 7 and 8. Any time there’s any impacts to those treaties, the government has a duty to consult,” said Brenda Heelan Powell, staff counsel at the Environmental Law Centre.
- The mountains are sacred to First Nation peoples for traditional ceremonies and gathering medicines that are harder to get in some other areas
- The raching and farming communities rely on local rivers and streams for irrogation but these water sources will become contaminated when coal mining begins.
- The watersheds will be contaminated, therefore crops growing downstream will be affected as well as animals that are drinking the water
- Loss of grazing land for animals
- The Grassy Mountain project is near the headwaters of the Oldman River, a vital watershed for southern Alberta. More than 45 per cent of the province relies on this watershed
- Mining operations can negatively impact water supplies, often with long-lasting effects.
- Nearby rivers, lakes, and aquifers will become contaminated (containing heavy metals like arsenic, copper, and lead) which will affect anyone who uses water downstream
- The issue, according to Lorne Fitch, a retired fish and wildlife biologist with the Alberta government, is “whether or not there is actually enough water in those headwater tributaries to satisfy both coal mines, keep the aquatic environment healthy and also satisfy all downstream water users.”
- In Alberta, water users are granted the right to withdraw water from rivers and streams through a licensing system. In some watersheds, including the Oldman, that system is closed because there is only a finite amount of water available. Then in November, the Alberta government changed the breakdown of which users would be able to access water under the Oldman order. Now, up to 64% of that water could become available to the mining industry.
- The conservative government plans to remove protection on dozens of provincial parks across Alberta
- Lots of land could now be open to coal mining companies since it is no longer protected- roughly a third of these parks are located on lands where mining restrictions have been lifted.
- Numerous species could now be at risk due to habitat loss
YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
NEW DEVELOPMENTS:
Now is the time to take action! New developments surrounding coal mining in Alberta proves that your voice does matter and change is possible. For every moment since the UCP government announced that they woud be removing a decades old policy that prevented coal companies from mining in the Rocky Mountains, millions of people have written letters, signed petitions and taken action for the future of their province.
PROVINCIAL PARKSAfter months of confusion and anger over a plan to remove dozens of sites from the Alberta Parks system, Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party government now says all 170 sites will remain protected and open to the public.
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1987 POLICYOn Monday morning, Energy Minster Sonya Savage announced the reversal of their decision to get rid of the 1976 policy. The policy is back in full force, and mountaintop mining is banned (at least for now) . That’s progress because it is rare for the UCP to back up in the face of any opposition.
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