A LANDSCAPE IN PERIL Earlier this year, Alberta announced it was

A LANDSCAPE IN PERIL

By Piper Whelan A MAJOR SHIFT IN ALBERTA’S COAL MINING POLICY HAS OPENED DOORS TO OPEN-PIT MINING PROJECTS, SPELLING DISASTER FOR THE EASTERN SLOPES AND EVERYONE DOWNSTREAM.

It’s difficult to imagine it in your own backyard – a type of mining so destructive that it literally removes mountaintops. It happens elsewhere, in places where dense, ancient forests once covered a mountain range that defines a people, and now surface coal mining has forever altered the landscape.

The irrevocable destruction of the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States may seem far removed from the Canadian Rockies, but thanks to a recent change in Alberta’s coal mining legislation, the form of devastation described in John Prine’s “Paradise” could likely take place on the Eastern Slopes. Now, those who make their living on formerly protected lands are warning all Albertans about the far-reaching consequences of proposed open-pit coal mining projects in the foothills and Rocky Mountains.

“Open-pit coal mining takes away so much from everything and gives nothing back,” said Mac Blades of the Rocking P Ranch, west of Nanton, AB. His family has grazed cattle on forest reserve land near the headwaters of the Oldman River for a century, right in the shadow of a controversial coal project.

“If there is a coal mine in our area, we would lose animal units for sure,” said Blades, whose main concern with these projects is the potential negative impact on water quality. With at least six mining projects in the exploration phase along the Mount Livingstone Range, the impact on the area is set to be enormous, from the coal dust and

With at least six mining projects in the exploration phase along the Mount Livingstone Range in Alberta, the impact on the area is set to be enormous – from the coal dust and traffic, to the loss of wildlife habitat and disruption to all users of the land.

traffic to the loss of wildlife habitat and disruption to all users of the land.

“It will affect everybody, not just us. The whole environment will really suffer,” he said. “The mountains are such a gift to Alberta. Why destroy them?”

Coal mining exploration and development in Alberta had been restricted in areas deemed environmentally sensitive through the 1976 legislation known as the Coal Policy. This Lougheed-era policy regulated coal mining projects in the province based on four categories of land.

The provincial government rescinded the Coal Policy on June 1, 2020 with little fanfare and without a public consultation period. Although the province claimed that areas in the Rocky Mountains formerly designated as Category 1 lands will continue to be protected, coal development is now allowed on the other three land categories. Officials claimed that these restrictions are no longer necessary.

The province stated it will use other methods to protect environmentally sensitive ecosystems on the Eastern Slopes.

“There’s a large sign by the the importance of Westslope

Cutthroat Trout and how they’re a species at risk and how habitat degradation is across the trail and see the drilling activity on the ridge above the Oldman,”

~Jolayne Davidson Gardner. “Through this approach we are striking the balance of ensuring strong environmental protection with providing industry with incentive to increase investment,” said Environment Minister Jason Nixon in a press release this spring.

The change that has Blades and other area ranchers up in arms is the removal of coal mining restrictions on former Category 2 lands. These lands cover 1.4 million hectares across the Rockies and its foothills that have been designated as moderately to highly environmentally sensitive. Previously, the Coal Policy prohibited open-pit mines on Category 2 lands and only approved underground mines if the resulting surface impact didn’t disrupt the environment.

The lack of public input for such a major shift in policy is alarming to Jolayne Davidson Gardner, who ranches with her family west of Chain Lakes, not far from the Blades family. “There was no consultation whatsoever, and there was no consultation with the rural municipalities that are impacted by the Coal Policy,” said Gardner. “There was also no consultation with numerous indigenous groups who have a much longer interest in the stewardship of this landscape than we have.”

Of the numerous open-pit mining projects proposed on former Category 2 lands, the mine closest to starting production is the Grassy Mountain Coal Project. Benga Mining Limited, an Australian company, has sought federal and provincial approval to develop a metallurgical coal mine since 2014. Benga estimates that this mine north of Blairmore would have a 25-year lifespan, producing up to 4.5 million tonnes of coal each year. The revoking of the Coal Policy removes a major hurdle for the project, which is scheduled to go to a public hearing in October.

Open-pit mining is also known as strip mining or mountaintop removal. This involves all vegetation and topsoil being removed before vast depths of rock, sometimes reaching several hundred feet, are blasted away to expose the coal seam. After one coal seam is stripped, the process is repeated to reach the next seam. Huge amounts of waste rock are piled up and sometimes deposited into nearby valleys. This type of surface mining has leveled significant swaths of the Appalachian Mountains in recent decades, with one regional advocacy group estimating that more than 500 mountains in that range have been removed.

A TROUBLING PRECEDENT

One can look much closer to home to understand the impact this type of mining has on the environment. One of the greatest areas for concern is the potential impact on water quality, from both an ecosystem and human health perspective. Open-pit coal mining has been known to release tox-

parking lot that talks all about their biggest risk, and you can literally turn around and look

ic amounts of elements such as selenium into the water and soil, and at the moment there is no way to completely mitigate the impact of selenium pollution in water.

The impact of strip mines run by Teck Resources in the Elk River Valley in British Columbia provides a cautionary tale. When five of these mines were found to have released selenium, among other toxins, into the river, the company was fined $1.4 million. The selenium pollution was responsible for the local Cutthroat Trout population, a federally designated species at risk, dropping by 93 percent in two years. As well, community and private wells in the area were contaminated, forcing Teck to replace the town of Sparwood’s water treatment facility.

“There’s precedent for why we should be concerned,” said Gardner. “We’re not being fearful of something that may or may not

Negative impacts on water quality caused by coal mining projects have ranchers very concerned.

happen; we’re being fearful of something that has already happened just 60 kilometres west of us.”

Conservation groups agree, highlighting the risk the Grassy Mountain project poses to the Oldman River watershed. “Given the risks we have seen at similar mines… we are not confident that this project can move forward in a way that is sustainable or even safe for the residents of our region and anyone else who lives downstream of it,” said Katie Morrison, conservation director with the Southern Alberta Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in a press release.

The risk for downstream users may also include water availability. The Oldman River watershed is critical to southern Alberta, supplying water for more than 45 percent of the province, as well as 40 percent of the region’s irrigation supply. However, this watershed already faces significant pressure because of natural flow reductions, and no new water licenses are to be issued. This, combined with the considerable amount of water needed for mining operations, raises questions about having enough water for human consumption, agriculture and other uses.

For ranchers in affected areas, the loss of endangered native grasslands, stress on livestock due to blasting, noise, lights and the destruction of wildlife habitats are cause for concern. Even in the exploration process, the infrastructure required will have a large impact, given the number of new roads needed into these areas.

It’s not just those in agriculture who have something to lose. Public lands support tourism, outfitting and guiding, along with a variety of recreational activities. “People want to be around the mountains and the beauty of them. They do not want to be around a coal mine,” said Blades. “Everybody knows how the winds are in southern Alberta, and it’s going to carry the coal dust everywhere because it’s not that far away from the big populations.”

GREAT RISK FOR LITTLE REWARD

New investment opportunities for the coal industry and protecting jobs were the main economic benefits touted by government officials when the province introduced this policy change. In the midst of Alberta’s economic struggles, which have only been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s no wonder there are many who welcome the job opportunities presented by these mines.

In communities such as Crowsnest Pass, which was established as a mining town, many residents are supportive of coal mining returning to an area that has little industry to attract workers. The approximately 400 full-time jobs that Benga Mining offi cials have stated will be created by the Grassy Mountain mine sound promising to those in desperate need of work. However, some worry that this may not provide the stable, long-term job opportunities that many are hoping for.

It’s important to note that these proposed mines won’t extract the lower-quality thermal coal that is still mined elsewhere in the province for power generation. The Grassy Mountain project and others plan to mine for higher-quality metallurgical coal that is used to make steel.

In addition to the coal industry’s focus on automation to cut costs, the market for metallurgical coal can be volatile. In the past year, Teck Resources laid off more than 600 employees in its Elk Valley mines – prior to the COVID-19 pandemic – due to the sinking price of metallurgical coal.

Recent innovations to the steel production process also raise questions about the financial sustainability of metallurgical coal mines. A recent project in Sweden successfully used hydrogen as a fuel source to produce commercial-grade steel, and while this likely won’t make waves for some time, experts estimate the use of hydrogen could upset the metallurgical coal market in a decade or two.

The fact that foreign companies will ultimately benefit from these projects has some questioning the advantages to Albertans. “These are Australian companies. Many of them arrive on speculation – they develop the mine in order to sell it again,” said Gardner. “There’s a question around the

long-term corporate social responsibility associated with these companies who come in and do the exploratory work only to flip them to bigger players later on.”

With the province only receiving a 1 percent royalty rate on these mines until the costs are paid, the return is nothing to write home about. “Out of every billion dollars of profit that the coal companies make, (Alberta) would get $10 million. $10 million isn’t going to touch what losses Alberta’s going to have,” said Blades.

The speed in which mining exploration is being approved is another issue. As part of this policy change, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) will now approve each new coal mine on an individual basis. However, budget cuts resulted in hundreds of AER employees being laid off, and after the rescission of the Coal Policy the provincial government introduced legislation that allows the cabinet to place deadlines on the regulator to make decisions quicker.

“If we’re going to put this all at the feet of the regulator, are they equipped to make the decisions that we’re asking them to make?” said Gardner. “The Alberta Energy Regulator has already proven that their interest is in fast-tracking exploratory permits and not respecting the regulatory process.”

The evidence of this can be seen on the land, as Gardner and her family saw firsthand on a recent visit to Oldman Falls. “There’s a large sign by the parking lot that talks all about the importance of Westslope Cutthroat Trout and how they’re a species at risk and how habitat degradation is their biggest risk, and you can literally turn around and look across the trail and see the drilling activity on the ridge above the Oldman,” she explained.

“There’s a direct correlation to risk with no return here. The potential value of what we might get out of these mines over the next 20 years and with a 1 percent royalty rate in Alberta until they’re cash positive, it pales in comparison to the risk associated.”

YOU CAN NEVER PUT IT BACK

The way in which the province handled the rescission of the Coal Policy and the lack of public awareness around projects such as Grassy Mountain has alarmed those whose livelihoods will be affected by these mines. That so few Albertans should know about projects that could have a huge impact on them is particularly distressing to some, especially when the results are irreversible.

Hazel Gardner, daughter to rancher Jolayne Davidson Gardner, gazes across the Old Man Falls.

Ranchers in the areas of projected coal mines are very concerned about the loss of grazing lands – and the resulting loss of animal units.

“This is one of the landscapes that Alberta is known for, and to be willing to risk it for what may or may not turn into a short-term economic boom, to me, it’s unconscionable and it’s unfathomable and it’s something that if we go down that path it can’t be undone,” said Gardner. “This is not something where we can sprinkle grass seed on the remnants of the open-pit mine and call it better grazing. It doesn’t work that way, and I think to suggest otherwise is dangerously ignorant.”

Blades agrees, and he wants more Albertans to be aware of these projects and understand the risk to their water sources. “They need to know about it because it’s going to affect them,” he said, adding that his family has been working to share this information with as many people as possible.

“When they destroy the mountain with open-pit mining, you never reclaim it,” he continued. “You can never put it back… It’s unbelievable that the government’s doing this. It’s just got no rhyme or reason. It’s just wrong.”