‘If I have to die in front of a bulldozer’: Opponents rally against exploration for coal mining in Alberta

Opponents of Northback Holdings’ exertion to bash immoderate exploratory drilling for ember connected the eastbound slopes of the Rocky Mountains rallied successful beforehand of the company’s offices successful downtown Calgary connected Friday.

The protesters — astir a twelve of them were connected manus — are acrophobic astir the impacts a excavation successful the Grassy Mountain country would person connected the situation and the wellness of the wildlife and radical who unrecorded successful the area.

They constituent to British Columbia wherever a caller American survey confirmed toxins from ember mining person been recovered successful rivers flowing crossed the Canada-U.S. border.

“Its going to enactment Selenium successful the water,” said protester Paul Armstrong,  “I mean, Selenium. Like if you spell implicit a cheque successful B.C., they spent $1.2 cardinal trying to hole it. They weren’t successful. It’s inactive successful the water.”

While Health Canada says selenium tin beryllium people recovered successful the environment, overexposure tin pb to a myriad of superior wellness problems.

“You’ll termination the watershed and everything successful it, which includes fish, wildlife, cattle,” said Armstrong who says helium enjoys recreating successful the country adjacent the projected drilling site.

The Grassy Mountain task has been antecedently rejected nether federal and provincial biology laws, but successful November 2023, Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean promised Alberta’s Energy Regulator would clasp nationalist hearings connected the company’s application to bash exploratory drilling.

Northback Holdings tells Global News this task would beryllium antithetic from erstwhile mining projects.

“We are a institution that wants to perceive from the community, we attraction astir the concerns, we besides recognize determination person been bequest mining issues that person contributed to biology concerns,” said institution spokesperson Rina Blacklaws.

“Modern-day mining practices don’t person those aforesaid types of issues. We powerfully judge that we tin conscionable each stringent biology regulations that are required for mining present successful the state of Alberta,” added Blacklaws.

Some communities successful southwest Alberta accidental the task would besides supply the country with a much-needed economical boost.

Blairmore has 2 nationalist hearings connected the task planned for Dec. 3 and 4, 2024 and residents of Crowsnest Pass volition ballot connected the task connected Nov. 25.

But the protesters accidental “the biology harm volition beryllium unrepairable.”

“If you emotion the mountains and you privation the mountains to enactment pristine for your children, your grandchildren, large grandchildren for aboriginal generations, past you person to accidental no,” said Armstrong.

“I’m determined to halt this excavation — immoderate mode — if I person to dice successful beforehand of a bulldozer.”