Tourism and environment needs to be saved
One particularly dry spring I lamented the lack of moisture. A wry ol’ rancher professed “don’t ever count this country out”. And by golly, spring rains came, the hills greened up and all was right with our world again.
My sage old friend has passed, could sure use some of his optimism about now. We’re faced with a surfeit of challenges, which have exponentially grown since our current Premier clandestinely removed the 1976 Coal Policy, a legacy of Premier Lougheed. Resultant open pit mining exploration is proceeding and snubbing its nose at regulations for road development, blasting sites and water usage. The limits have been surpassed. Landscape destruction continues. It’s as if open pit mining in the Eastern Slopes is a foregone conclusion. The audacity exhibited without a concern for the “rules” is appalling.
Tens of thousands of Albertans and others who take great pride in our beautiful landscape, which provides watershed for the millions of downstream users, are dumbfounded by the actions of our provincial government. We are counting on your wisdom and experience with open pit mining to forestall the devastation of our Eastern Slopes until there is proper consultation, base line studies for water and air quality and overall appreciation and value for the esthetic of what is “under the knife”.
Please deny approval for Grassy Mountain. You are well aware of contaminants released into water during mining. You also know there is no way to eliminate the contaminants. We don’t deserve to suffer as a result of something that can and must be prevented. By not approving Grassy Mountain, the miners would take our concerns seriously and give sober second thought to future development.
Water in southern Alberta is a scarce commodity at best. In the past, it has been managed efficiently. It is completely allocated to agricultural and other users. There’s no room for water use by the mines. FULL STOP! Yet the AER recently gave approval to a coal lessee to take water from a creek at source. This must stop! We depend on that water for life and livelihoods.
Our winds, affectionately known as Chinooks bring great relief in the middle of winter. The winds of spring and fall often bring gusts of hurricane strength blowing straight off where the first open pit mines are proposed. There is great concern about coal dust particulates being carried far afield by the wind.
Bringing this debacle closer to humanity, the Eastern Slopes are the playground and escape from the everyday of Albertans and in better times the thousands of visitors to our province.
Due to the pandemic so many are “staycationing”. Our Eastern Slopes continue to provide a much needed mental and physical health break. Dirty water, dirty air, increased traffic, noise and disruption do nothing to enhance this experience and support good health.
Please help right our world again. Don’t let off-shore investors and power-hungry politicians continue to destroy our irreplaceable landscape. Its value is intrinsic. Its worth immeasurable. It must be left intact. DENY GRASSY MOUNTAIN.
Sincere regards,