May 21, 2025 from Water for Food.

Premier Danielle Smith says we need metallurgical coal to make solar panels and windmills.

1. The UCP government effectively killed the booming clean energy industry in Alberta.

2. The steel industry world wide is rapidly implementing green steel technology which doesn’t require metallurgical coal.

3. The Alberta government’s own science reports clearly document the harm done to river systems, mountain lakes , mountain snow pack and ecosystems from coal mining.

4. Northback says they will utilize new technologies to prevent selenium contamination and pollution from wind blown coal dust. Teck mining implemented those same technologies, investing more than $1 billion. They were unsuccessful and were repeatedly fined for exceeding safe levels of selenium pollution and contamination in 2024 for violations in 2023.

5. At the selenium information meeting that they hosted on June 12, 2024, Northback’s environmental consultants were unaware that municipalities in the Oldman River basin accessed river water to create potable water.  There is no known technology anywhere in the world where municipalities have been successful in removing excess selenium from river water.

6. Energy Minister Brian Jean has yet to respond to our January 15,2025 letter asking him to identify another source for treatable water for municipalities who currently rely on the Oldman River to create potable water.

In B.C., the Elk River can not be used to create potable water but municipalities are able to access water from mountain lakes.  Municipalities in the Oldman River basin have no secondary source.

7. Northback has yet to conduct thorough testing and publish results on the extent of pollution from wind blown coal dust east of Grassy Mountain given the volatile Chinook winds common to the region. Communities east of Grassy Mountain should be provided with detailed information on the extent to which snowpack, groundwater, soil, lakes and river systems will be affected.

8. Two thirds of Canada’s irrigated agriculture depends on the Oldman River, not just for irrigation but also for valence added food processing. Thousands of jobs are at risk in farming, ranching, intensive livestock and food processing to create just 300 jobs at Grassy Mountain. The economic development case does not make sense.

9. The UCP government of Jason Kenney backed down from coal mining when Albertans expressed strong opposition. The UCP government of Danielle Smith did not campaign on its desire to open up the eastern slopes to coal mining in the 2023 provincial election. They do not have a mandate from Albertans to proceed with coal mining at Grassy Mountain or anywhere on the eastern slopes.

The water For Food group encourages you to share this information widely.

Thank you,
Chris Spearman
Spokesperson
Water For Food group