Edmonton, Alberta - Sierra Club Canada Foundation welcomes the release of the report of the Coal Policy Committee and calls for immediate action on behalf of the Alberta government to extend protection of the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains from coal mining until a land use process is complete.
“We are glad to see the Alberta Coal Policy Committee report and ministerial order to extend the ban on new mining activities in Category 3 and 4 lands in addition to Category 2 lands until adequate land-use planning can be done.” states Lindsay Boucher, Coordinator for the Sierra Club’s Prairie Chapter. “Grassroots voices have been leading the charge in mobilizing Albertans to call for strong protection of our watersheds and the Eastern Slopes. These voices need to continue to be heard as land use planning processes are carried out for the region.”
“Mountains not Mines” became the rallying cry in Alberta when tens of thousands of hectares on the slopes and headwaters of the Rockies were at risk to open-pit coal mining for metallurgical coal. Open pit and mountaintop mining of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains threatened iconic landscapes, watersheds, traditional Indigenous territories, wildlife, and local economic drivers such as tourism, agriculture and ranching.
“The events over the past two years have eroded public confidence and going forward this confidence needs to be restored. The land use planning process recommended by the Coal Policy Committee will require accountability to the public and transparency,” according to Boucher. "Comprehensive protection of our headwaters must also prevent the risk of selenium contamination in our region."
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For further information please contact:
Lindsay Boucher, Coordinator Prairie Chapter
lindsayb@sierraclub.ca / 1-587-989-3336