Foothills councillors got the low-down on mining from provincial and federal government reps, who stressed Grassy Mountain Coal Project and the 1976 coal policy are two separate issues.
Foothills MP John Barlow and Highwood MLA RJ Sigurdson joined Foothills County's meeting on Feb. 3 to discuss concerns on both issues.
Barlow said there seems to be some confusion, as the rescission of the coal policy and the Grassy Mountain operation, which started its approval process in 2013, are not related.
“Up until this past couple of weeks, I’ve never had a single constituent call me or contact me with concerns about Grassy,” said Barlow. “It’s on an existing mine site, it was mined for decades, it was abandoned in the ‘60s. It’s a brownfield; this is not pristine land in any way, shape or form.”
He said the Province’s decision to revoke the 1976 coal policy in June 2020 shone a spotlight on the Grassy Mountain Coal Project, which is currently going before a joint (federal and provincial) review panel after five years of public consultation that concluded with 30 days’ worth of eight-hour hearings through November.
The hearings are all available to view on YouTube, he said.
Concerns from the public that the project was rammed through without consultation or support are “simply not true,” he said.
“They haven’t skipped any steps, nothing has been done haphazardly,” said Barlow.
He said the project has also received letters of support from all First Nations in the area.
The joint review panel is now considering all public input from the consultation process as well as science and data, and information from Riversdale Resources Ltd., the Australia-based company behind Grassy Mountain.
Its recommendation will be made to Jonathan Wilkinson, federal minister of environment and climate change, who will then deliver a final decision within 150 days.
As far as the future of mining in the region, Barlow said he’s been clear with both federal Minister Wilkinson and provincial Minister of Energy Sonya Savage as to his stance.
“I do not support additional development and open-pit mines in the Eastern Slopes,” he said.
His advice to the Province is to freeze all exploration permits and put a hold on leases until robust public consultation and hearings taken place regarding its vision for land-use and resource development in the eastern slopes.
It’s time to focus on the future of the region rather than pointing at Grassy Mountain, which has been going through the approval process for years, he said.
“Can we accommodate one mine in the area? Maybe,” said Barlow. “Do I want to see multiple mines in the Eastern Slopes? No, I do not.
“And I’m hoping we can put the brakes on this a little bit – or a lot – and have a more engaged debate and discussion on where we go from here.”
Sigurdson said he shares a “very personal and emotional connection to the Eastern Slopes” and he has heard the deep concern and passion of his residents loud and clear.
“I’m going to continue to represent their opinions and concerns as strongly as possible,” said Sigurdson.
Bringing those concerns forward to the government has resulted in Minister Savage hitting the pause button for all activity in lands deemed Category 2 under the former coal policy and rescinding some of the leases issued in December, he said.
“This pause right now is the time in which I’m going to dedicate to being able to connect with as may of my residents in the area, to make sure that moving forward their concerns are heard."
He said addressing the coal mining policy concerns will come down to consultation with people in all affected areas.
Sigurdson echoed Barlow’s concerns about separating Grassy Mountain from the coal policy issue.
“I’ve had many conversations with people that think the approval of Grassy Mountain or the ending of the public consultation for Grassy Mountain was a result of the rescinding of that policy, where it wasn’t,” he said.
“What I think is important, and what I’ve been trying to do over the past couple of weeks is direct the conversation so that we’re working in a constructive manner and we’re not blurring the lines.”
Foothills Coun. Delilah Miller said it’s been about more than Grassy Mountain for the residents who have reached out to her on the issue.
“Most of the residents have delved a bit deeper into the leases being offered and are really concerned about that,” she said. “It’s with the removal of the coal policy that has allowed these lands to open up for lease.”
She referred to previous Category 2 lands in the Livingstone-Macleod area and Kananaskis, all of which she called sensitive areas and critical wildlife zones. There is also concern as to whether the area will be remediated properly, as the only suggestion seen to-date is to leave behind mountain lakes with high levels of selenium from processing coal.
“The concerns are a lot more than just Grassy Mountain,” said Miller. “The people who are lodging lawsuits, the ranchers who are behind this, are not more or less on the Grassy Mountain, they’re on the coal policy.”
The County was one of several southern Alberta municipalities to submit a letter to the Province regarding the 1976 coal policy.
Miller said it's time for legislation to protect the lands under law rather than policy.
She added it’s clear the issue is important, because it is rare to see Albertans so engaged on a topic.
Barlow said that’s a good thing.
“It is driving change,” he said. “We are seeing decisions made at various levels of government to try and address some of the concerns.”
To reach out to local government representatives, email Sigurdson at [email protected] or Barlow at [email protected].
