An article in the Medicine Hat News describes the benefits they’ll see by having Highway 3 upgraded. The upgrade will carry through to Lethbridge. It’s said these repairs are crucial to the “Hat” and there is some discussion about twinning the highway. The Globe and Mail says, “Alberta is adding $1 billion to its budget to repair more roads, schools, bridges and potholes as a way to create jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.” No doubt, a lot of people will be thrilled.

Some upgrades being discussed are:

• Security building;
• Highway 3 intersection;
• Access road from Highway3 to the mine infrastructure area (approximately seven kilometres);
• Access road system from the mine infrastructure area to the pit operations (currently in the preliminary planning phase);
• Service road system from the mine infrastructure area to the CHPP infrastructure and train loadout area
• Water management structures including raw water wells for groundwater, CHPP reservoir, storage tanks, distribution pipe network;and
• Site-wide drainage civil works.

Understandably this will be a great advantage for Lethbridge and Medicine Hat businesses and residents. It will also be a huge benefit to Benga Mining Limited, from Australia, operating as Riversdale Resources. The Grassy Mountain Coal Project is being watched for its success very closely by a number of companies who will follow the company into the area to establish other mines.

It is unfortunate that such a pristine area of Alberta will destroy 2,800ha in the name of progress. Even more unfortunate if the mine is successful! They’re seeking approval for six extensive mountain top removal coal mines. Totalled, these could leave a path of destruction of 30-50 kilometres.

An article in the Prairie Post quotes Alberta Premier Jason Kenney as saying:

“We are also working on a potential additional metallurgical coal mines in the Crowsnest Pass. There are some big Australian multinational companies that have struck a partnership with the Piikani First Nation and (it’s) quite advanced,” added Kenney. “We have been clearing the way of regulatory hurdles. We may see multi-billion dollar capital investment in new coal miners in the Pas and that would certainly accelerate continue twinning especially on the west side of Highway 3. We want to move those potential coal mines ahead as quick as we can. As I say, this 46-km stretch will be done in 2023. If we get a commitment on one of those big coal mines before that, I think we may be able to expand the twinning in the medium term rather than the long term.”

This isn’t a thermal coal project for generating electricity. They’ll be mining metallurgical coal used in the construction of steel.

People today are still haunted by the Hillcrest mine disaster that happened in the Pass. It was the worst coal mining disaster in Canadian history which resulted in 189 of 228 workers killed. It happened on Friday June 19, 1914.

Tech Coal in British Columbia is having a huge problem with selenium contamination. It’s getting into the waterways and being detected as far away as Montana. It can cause growth impairment in fish, gill damage and even death. Some of the fish found in Elk River Elk River had deformities. The same environmental issues will have to be addressed at Grassy Mountain too. This mine will start on a previous site that was mined many years ago. (Pictured below)

While many people will be happy to have the work, there are health concerns for workers as well. A Wikipedia about it says, “published studies also show a high potential for human health impacts. These may result from contact with streams or exposure to airborne toxins and dust. Adult hospitalization for chronic pulmonary disorders and hypertension are elevated as a result of county-level coal production. Rates of mortality, lung cancer, as well as chronic heart, lung and kidney disease are also increased. A 2011 study found that counties in and near mountaintop mining areas had higher rates of birth defects for five out of six types of birth defects, including circulatory/respiratory, musculoskeletal, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, and urogenital defects.

These defect rates were more pronounced in the most recent period studied, suggesting the health effects of mountaintop mining-related air and water contamination may be cumulative. Another 2011 study found “the odds of reporting cancer were twice as high in the mountaintop mining environment compared to the non-mining environment in ways not explained by age, sex, smoking, occupational exposure, or family cancer history. “

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada has a report, ‘Environmental hazard assessment of Benga Mining’s proposed Grassy Mountain Coal Project’ written by A. Dennis Lemly. He states, “A scientific analysis of environmental hazards of the project reveals numerous flaws in both the projected environmental performance of the mine and its regulatory control. From both environmental and economic perspectives, the proposed mine will do far more damage than can be reasonably justified on any level.

“The process of open-pit mining requires surface disposal of residuals, that is, the waste rock removed to gain access to the desired coal seam. This creates a stockpile of material which has the potential to produce large volumes of contaminated wastewater due to precipitation-induced leaching of toxic heavy metals, trace elements and other materials from the mineral matrix of the rock.”

An article at ‘Alberta Views’ explains the usual process of remediation. It says, “As the companies exhaust parts of the mine they are required to reclaim the site. This usually involves bulldozing the spoil heaps to slopes of less than 27 per cent and then spraying fertilizer and seed on top to get vegetation established. Even then, toxic chemicals can leach into nearby streams for decades.”

Before the companies are permitted to mine, they must have a plan in place for remediation. With the millions of dollars Alberta will spend on remediation of oil wells, we see that companies don’t always live up to their promises. Although they have good intentions, some of the waste piles just have a little dirt piled over the top of them.

Alberta doesn’t have to worry about the emissions produced by making steel with the coal. Most of it will be going to Australia. They will use half of it to make steel and sell the other half. Australia earns a lot of money selling metallurgical coal. It’s playing a central role in fuelling a steel boom in China. The world needs steel, so emissions are largely ignored according to Greenpeace. Overall we’ll be increasing emissions on a global level and contribute more to global warming, regardless of whether we get any honorary mention for it.

Is there a climate crisis?

One wouldn’t think so by taking a look at Alberta. In Ottawa, Trudeau seems to be leaning towards a greener future for Canada but there isn’t any way to score his card so far. There isn’t anything on it.

Joe Biden, who’s in the lead for the presidency, is teaming up with representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York. Last year, Mr. Biden proposed a $1.7 trillion plan aimed at achieving 100 percent clean energy and eliminating the country’s net carbon emissions by 2050. His teammate, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, may help him realize this goal.
If Mr. Biden wins, Canada may be forced into plan two.

What’s plan two?

Nothing really. We aren’t a force for climate change, we’re just riding on the shirttails of those who are, and we’ll be dragged into a green new deal whether we’re ready or not.