Time for a rethink on Grassy Mountain coal mine, Excellent example of biting the hand that feeds you Mar 25, 2024, Mountain View Gazette
Dear Danielle Smith Premier of Alberta: Say no to Grassy Mountain coal mine.
Danielle if you sanctioned Brian Jean’s mindless unthinking letter to the Alberta Energy Regulator encouraging them to reconsider Northback’s re-application to extract coal from grassy mountain than you essentially have agreed to potentially poison the very people who elected you to the legislature and enabled you to be our premier.
How does he think he knows better than this Grassy Mountain proposal, the site of significant mining in the past, has been before regulators for years?
‘Cause he’s an anti health, anti water, anti environment, anti future generations, anti science, pro polluter rape and pillage, old conservative white man. You voted for this abuse of you and our province Mr. Florence!
The steelmaking coal project was judged not in the public interest in 2021, after a long environmental review by a joint federal-provincial panel, and its permits were denied by both levels of government.
According to Corb Lund, after having a conversation with Brian Jean as provincial minister of energy, Jean actually knows less about the Grassy Mountain coal mine and its potential harm to Albertans, than Corb does and as he says he’s just a guitar player.
It’s an excellent example of biting the hand that feeds you. All to enhance the wealth of an Australian billionaire and some Chinese steel workers and a pitiful few Alberta coal miners.
Is it really worth it to sacrifice our precious Alberta mountain environment poison our fish and other wildlife that depend on the head waters for the Old Man River for survival and on top of that risk the health of southern Albertans from coal mine effluent toxic elements like selenium pollution of our fresh potable water sources.
You only need to look west across the border to see the damage that Tech Coal mines of the Elk Valley have done to the Kootenay waters and the several millions of dollar fine that has been brought against them for the poisoning of water that supplies many Americans, in addition to all the Canadians affected.
And that’s ongoing. Give your head a shake. Do you really want to risk ruining the health of Albertans their children and grand children for the benefit of a billionaire Australian?Of course she does; as do her rope handlers – the TBA evangelicals.
Or has your government been bought and paid for by that Australian as well and she now controls your government. And we were concerned about China’s influence on Ottawa seems minor by comparison.
Ms. Premier you need to look at the big long term picture and not focus only on a few royalty dollars this mine potentially represents.
Time for a rethink, or you will have lost my support.You ought not to have given it to her in the first place. What else do you think a majority con gov’t will do but rape voters? That’s what they always do and con voters, notably in Alberta, always fall for the lies, treachery and promises, only to be raped again and again and again …
Darrel Florence, Cremona
C E Reid Mar 25, 2024:
Well said. Money always dictates over the wellness of the people and the environment!! The government needs to smarten up. I just don’t see it happening with this bunch!!Me neither; I’ve never seen a con Alberta gov’t do anything to serve ordinary Albertans, they just serve their money masters and or extreme rape religions
How long and loud do we have to yell about coal exploration? Foreign company’s bid to mine the Grassy Mountain area in the headwaters of the Oldman River twice rejected Mar 31, 2024, Mountain View Gazette
It’s with shock and anger that I see the UCP government and Alberta Energy regulator undermine the 2022 Ministerial Order ban on coal exploration in the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Specifically, the acceptance of an application from an already twice-rejected foreign company’s bid to mine the Grassy Mountain area in the headwaters of the Oldman River.
It is an outrage to ignore the strongly voiced opposition by the public and the legal responsibility of the findings of the Joint Review Panel which ruled the project “is not in the public interest” and “is likely to result in significant adverse environmental effects on surface water quality.”
Considering the fact that adjacent watersheds in Elk River Valley have had selenium contamination from coal mining, now finally under review by both US and Canadian authorities; and given the reputation of the Australian mega mining corporation (Hancock Prospecting, the parent company) this proposal should not ever be remotely considered.
The multi billionaire owner of Hancock, Gina Rienhart, is a known climate change denier, adversary of environmental movements and a racist as well.
Our coal shipped to China for her profit doesn’t make sense to me. She is not the person Alberta should allow to exploit our province at the risk of poisoning a vital water resource, more so in the shadow of an impending drought.
Another disgusting move allowed by a premier who appears to share some traits of the aforementioned.
Would not this foreign mining company get the same preferential treatment as the oil companies who abandon wells and we taxpayers now pay for the cleanup. How long and loud do we have to yell before the government listens. I’m yelling.
Alex Baradoy, Red Deer County
C E Reid April 1, 2024:
I hear you and am yelling loud and clear with you!! This is SHAMEFUL!! REPREHENSIBLE!! The outcome of this action has no positive effects for Alberta, the people or the environment!!
The world is changing but if Smith has her way we won’t go with it, After a huge outcry over opening up coal mining in the mountains, the UCP backed down and reinstated the ban in 2022, or so we thought, says reader Mar 16, 2024, Mountain View Gazette
After a huge outcry over opening up coal mining in the mountains, the UCP backed down and reinstated the ban in 2022, or so we thought.
An older application for a coal mine in the Crowsnest area had been rejected. Last fall they reapplied to the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) under a new name. Enter minister Brian Jean.
He wrote to the AER saying the application should be considered one exempt from the ban. They conveniently complied and now we are to have more hearings on a previously rejected coal mine project.
This the AER did ignoring the warning they issued just over a month ago that all water users in Southern Alberta were going to have to reduce their water usage.
Jean’s directives were totally inappropriate, as was the AER’s willingness to obey. The AER is an independent review board and politicians are to stay out of decision making processes.
Juxtapose Jean’s actions on coal mines with Smith’s new bans on renewable energy. These projects are not to be within 35 kilometres of protected areas or pristine viewscapes.
So, it is OK to tear up a mountain and wash the dirty coal with our remaining water but you better not put up a windmill in front of the mountain.
There are to be strict, but largely undefined rules for where renewable energy projects can go, and coverage for reclamation costs is required.
We should protect farm land, but look around at all the farm land used for warehousing, RV storage, industrial, oil and gas wells and equipment, and urban sprawl.
Consider the thousands of abandoned wells that were allowed to be drilled without adequate regulations to ensure reclamation, not to mention the damage to the landscape and water from coal mines. New red tape and extra expenses now face any renewable project.
While adequate provisions are essential, the UCP’s message is that renewable energy, in the province with the most sunlight and steady winds, is not wanted. We will lose billions in investments.
If the political messaging to her base wasn’t so paramount, the approach could have been. “This is a great opportunity, let’s figure out the best way to do it.”
I recently flew to Salt Lake City. On the way down my seatmate was a young woman going to Idaho to help design and set up a solar panel project.
On the way back my seatmate was a young man who will be moving to Texas to manage a large factory installing electric batteries and hydrogen fuel tanks in semi-trailers.
The world is changing but if Smith has her way we won’t go with it.
James Wilde, Carstairs
Karen Burns Mar 16, 2024:
An enlightened, intelligent observation of the insane juxtaposition of Alberta’s economical, environmental progress and the backwards policies / actions of the UCP .
Mark Olson Mar 18, 2024:
Thank you for a thoughtful letter.
