Dear Editor,
Our water supply is being threatened by the Alberta government. Again!
As posted by CPAWS… “A trio of concerned Albertans have issued a challenge to Government of Alberta officials to publicly debate, and justify, their recent decisions and direction on coal, including the controversial lifting of the moratorium on coal mining in the Eastern Slopes.
Country music singer-songwriter Corb Lund, CPAWS Southern Alberta Executive Director Katie Morrison, and President of the Livingstone Landowners Group, and former Coal Policy Committee (CPC) member, Bill Trafford have banded together to challenge Premier Smith, Minister of Energy and Minerals Brian Jean, and Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz to a long-form, moderated debate on coal.
Polls consistently show that 70 per cent of Albertans oppose new coal exploration or mining in the Eastern Slopes, believing that the risks to water and health outweigh any economic benefits (per the CPC report to the government, which has been ignored by Premier Smith).
Despite this clear mandate, the Government of Alberta is pushing forward with a new Coal Industry Modernization Initiative that allows new coal mining in the Eastern Slopes and consults only with the coal industry. Additionally, lifting the moratorium on new coal exploration and development risks further (irreversible) damage to lands and waters and increases liability to Albertans. The details and justification for these actions are unclear, contradicting the government's stated objectives of transparency and grassroots decision-making.
Every time a government representative speaks about the coal issue, it becomes more confusing. In the interest of transparency, we challenge the Premier, the Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, and the Minister of Energy to a long-form moderated public debate on the coal issue. We believe the government has not acted in the interest of the majority of Albertans, and it is time to put all the facts on the table.”
I hereby challenge my MLA and Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson to book his annual town hall for a similar debate on this topic.
I want Minister Sigurdson to take this opportunity to defend his and the Smith government’s actions/inactions on this critical file.
Water is Life and yes, even the drinking water for Okotoks (via the Sheep, Highwood Rivers) – and our keystone $18 billion agriculture sector – is threatened and cannot ever be exposed to, and poisoned by, coal mining toxins. We must learn from the mistakes already made in B.C.
It’s really that simple. No means no – forever!
Gordon Petersen
Okotoks
