From Joseph Fowler to the Joint Review Panel re: Comments on the Grassy Mountain Coal Project

I would like to voice my concern for opening a coal mine in the southern Alberta. The devastating impacts of an open-pit mine may destroy this landscape and our water for generations. The Old-Man River watershed supplies drinking water to numerous communities before joining with the Bow to form the South Saskatchewan River, and eventually flowing into the Hudson's Bay. We have a responsibility to protect our headwaters, because what we do to the land and water in Alberta will impact the water quality as it flows through the rest of the prairies.

Water is an invaluable resource, and our mountains are our water towers. They collect and store water, then slowly release it into our rivers. What we do to this landscape we do to our drinking water. To risk damaging our beautiful landscapes for 25 years of mining seems ridiculous, we have the technology and know-how to strengthen our economy in a more sustainable way. The opinions of many Albertans are swaying to a greener and more sustainable future. We can't rebuild the mountain when the mine is closed. It's near impossible to remove contaminants from water. Our landscapes are rare and beautiful. And our resources need to be protected instead of being looked at with dollar signs.