Coal mining
February 4, 2025
In 1976, then-premier Peter Lougheed enacted a policy limiting coal development on the eastern slopes of the Rockies because open pit coal mining has a terrible track record of polluting rivers and the rivers originating on the eastern slopes provide all our water needs across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Albertans supported this common sense precaution.
Then quietly, on Friday afternoon before the long weekend in May 2020, the UCP government released a statement saying that they had rescinded the 1976 policy. Documents have since shown that the government was in talks with foreign coal companies about rescinding the 1976 policy for months even as they were keeping those talks secret from Albertans. As opposition to opening the eastern slopes to coal mines grew from environmentalists, cities, rural communities and farmers, the government announced that they would hold hearings to determine what Albertans really think. Do you think they should have held hearings before they rescinded the 1976 policy?
Albertans paid $2 million for the hearings that told the government the obvious: that Albertans were united in their opposition to open pit coal mines on the eastern slopes and the 1976 policy was reinstated. The whole mess stinks of incompetence and waste and looks like government corruption. I am not saying that this actually is government corruption because I am not wealthy enough to be sued. But I am being sued. Along with all Albertans, I am being sued for $16 billion by the coal companies because our government first gave them and then took away an economic opportunity. Does it seem unfair that Albertans have to pay for the government decision that we had no input or even any knowledge of?
Now our government is again reopening the eastern slopes to coal mining. We should be outraged. When rivers are polluted and the coal companies close up shop and move away, the costs to our children will be much more than $16 billion.
The government has severely messed up. The mess will cost us a lot, but whatever the cost, we must protect Alberta’s rivers for our children. I suggest that we all contact our MLA to let her know how we feel. Make an appointment to see her in person. And we should remember this waste, incompetence and what looks like corruption at the next election, because we get the government we ask for.
Rob Hill,
Camrose
In 1976, then-premier Peter Lougheed enacted a policy limiting coal development on the eastern slopes of the Rockies because open pit coal mining has a terrible track record of polluting rivers and the rivers originating on the eastern slopes provide all our water needs across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Albertans supported this common sense precaution.
Then quietly, on Friday afternoon before the long weekend in May 2020, the UCP government released a statement saying that they had rescinded the 1976 policy. Documents have since shown that the government was in talks with foreign coal companies about rescinding the 1976 policy for months even as they were keeping those talks secret from Albertans. As opposition to opening the eastern slopes to coal mines grew from environmentalists, cities, rural communities and farmers, the government announced that they would hold hearings to determine what Albertans really think. Do you think they should have held hearings before they rescinded the 1976 policy?
Albertans paid $2 million for the hearings that told the government the obvious: that Albertans were united in their opposition to open pit coal mines on the eastern slopes and the 1976 policy was reinstated. The whole mess stinks of incompetence and waste and looks like government corruption. I am not saying that this actually is government corruption because I am not wealthy enough to be sued. But I am being sued. Along with all Albertans, I am being sued for $16 billion by the coal companies because our government first gave them and then took away an economic opportunity. Does it seem unfair that Albertans have to pay for the government decision that we had no input or even any knowledge of?
Now our government is again reopening the eastern slopes to coal mining. We should be outraged. When rivers are polluted and the coal companies close up shop and move away, the costs to our children will be much more than $16 billion.
The government has severely messed up. The mess will cost us a lot, but whatever the cost, we must protect Alberta’s rivers for our children. I suggest that we all contact our MLA to let her know how we feel. Make an appointment to see her in person. And we should remember this waste, incompetence and what looks like corruption at the next election, because we get the government we ask for.
Rob Hill,
Camrose