Letter to Mayor & Council, City of Lethbridge

On October 19, 2020, City Council unanimously passed a resolution that acknowledged the headwaters on the eastern slopes as the source of our drinking water and that the surface mining of coal has the potential of adversely affecting water in the watershed.  The resolution indicated the risk that “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.” The City of Lethbridge joined a number of other communities in the region to express concerns about water quality being affected by the impacts of coal mining in the headwaters.

Since that date, a Joint Review Panel was convened to gather relevant research and examine expert testimony on the social, economic and environmental impacts of a mountain-top coal mine in the headwaters of the Oldman River. It was a thorough process based on best evidence and the Joint Review Panel decided in 2021 that this project was not in the public interest.

The report identified impacts to species-at-risk, risks of contamination of surface- and ground-water, risks of air pollution, and that the project did not properly consider economic risks in its evaluation (which may be significant for the agri-food sector in our region), while overstating royalty payments. There was no cost evaluation for the long-term treatment of water (long after the coal mine would be closed) and dubious commitments for restoration after mine closure. Overall, this project is not good for people, it is not good for the environment, and it is not good for the citizen-taxpayer.

Healthy rivers provide clean, pollution-free water. The Oldman River is the source of drinking water for Lethbridge and many other communities. Upstream coal mining poses a real risk: and a current reality in the Elk River watershed in southeastern British Columbia where drinking water supplies for Sparwood and Fernie have been contaminated with increasing levels of selenium due to coal mining. Coal mine waste piles continue to leach selenium for many decades after closure. Conventional municipal water treatment does not remove many industrial chemicals and heavy metals, so it is best to prevent them from entering our source waters.

The Government of Alberta has recently lifted the moratorium on coal mining in the Eastern Slopes and has, again, rescinded the 1976 Coal Policy for Alberta. This effectively allows coal mining companies to advance their projects in the near term. In the absence of a coal policy in the province, it is important that downstream Municipalities protect their interests.

SAGE encourages the City of Lethbridge to review the 2020 Resolution concerning the Grassy Mountain surface mining coal project, and reaffirm our commitment to maintaining clean and reliable water for our homes, for our businesses, and for growing our food.

For over 40 years, SAGE has engaged in informing the public on important environmental issues, actively participated in policy processes and consultation, and is a leading voice for a healthy and environmentally sustainable community in Lethbridge and southern Alberta. A more detailed discussion, with supporting references, is available at https://www.sage-environment.org/grassy-mountain-coal/.