Alberta Coal Mining Concerns

I am writing to express my opposition with your government’s decision to remove protections that restricted open pit coal mining in sensitive environmental areas of Southern Alberta.

I have been a landowner in the area for over 17 years in two locations, Castle Mountain Resort and along the Oldman River, upstream of the Three Rivers reservoir. In both cases, my family and I have been part of a larger community trying to preserve the land and environment in Alberta largely but specifically in Southwest Alberta. I am also a member of the Advisory Board for Alberta of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).

I am deeply concerned with what appears to be a relaxation of historical policies on development in the region. In particular the idea of allowing mountain top strip mining in the specific environmentally sensitive areas of the Livingstone/Eastern Slopes.

As a concerned constituent and as a member of the Livingstone Landowners Group, I am asking that you support our request for the government to take immediate action to:

• restore or enhance previous constraints on open pit coal mining on Category 2 & 3 lands
• commit to full environmental impact assessments, and funding for affected groups to participate, for any new coal mine or a re-opening of previous coal mined areas in any location
• implement stronger requirements, backed by sufficient funding, for coal companies to pay upfront for full surface reclamation plans and perpetual accountability to control and contain selenium leaching from waste rock.

I look forward to your prompt response and commitment to protect the future of Alberta’s rural residents and communities.

Sincerely,

Dean G. Prodan