Lethbridge city council, which relies on the Oldman, has expressed concerns about the project.

And the Oldman Watershed Council has pointed out that the river is the water supply for 90 per cent of people downstream.

“Southern Alberta does not have alternative rivers or lakes to draw water from,” the council said in its submission to the hearing. “The Oldman River is the only option for us and so we are particularly vulnerable to upstream contamination.”

Selenium isn’t the only concern. Ian Urquhart of the Alberta Wilderness Association said the project would reduce habitat for one of the last pure populations of native westslope cutthroat trout, a threatened species.

“We already know the current level of habitat is insufficient. With this project, we’re talking about a permanent loss of in-stream habitat and a promise that somehow we’re going to compensate for this and make it better.”

Source: Mountaintop coal mine hearings to begin amidst fears of pollution, development rush | Kamloops This Week

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