Coal Mining: A Déjà Vu to Avoid

By Brittany Verbeek, AWA Conservation Specialist

ne flight over the Elk Valley in footprint on the landscape. The provincial ture arrangement, is set to begin more ex- southeastern government seems willing to allow, if not ploratory drilling and prepare a scoping O demonstrates the enormous encourage, yet another high impact land study, a prefeasibility study and a formal territory devoted to open pit coal mining use onto our forested headwaters in south- feasibility study for the Elan project. The operations. , a Canadian western by allowing coal leases government’s willingness to allow intense company, is the primary owner and opera- throughout and inevitably new open pit exploration in prime watershed and recre- tor of five surface coal mines within a hun- mines. ation areas shows little regard for Alberta’s dred kilometre radius of the Elk Valley. The Exploration and investment in coal de- landscapes. coal at all five mines is metallurgical (cok- velopment near the Crowsnest Pass has in- The other current player in the Crows- ing coal) destined for export to Asian steel creased significantly in the last few years. nest Pass is Riversdale Resources, an Aus- producers. Coking coal is converted to Altitude Resources Inc. and Elan Coal Ltd. tralian company that acquired coal assets , which is then used in a blast furnace signed a joint venture agreement with Kuro from Consol Energy and Devon Canada. to smelt iron ore. According to the World Coal Limited to develop the Elan Coking These assets included the Grassy Moun- Coal Association, approximately 770 kilo- Coal Project. The Elan lease applications tain property just north of Blairmore which grams of coal are required to produce one are located 15 kilometres north of the Mu- has also been previously explored, stud- tonne of steel. In 2013, Canada was the nicipality of the Crowsnest Pass and ex- ied, and mined. There is very little on- sixth highest coking coal producer in the tend approximately 55 kilometres north, site infrastructure other than access roads world, primarily due to developments in paralleling the Livingstone Range. The and a main electrical power transmission northeast and southeast B.C. Alberta, by 2013 Year in Review of Coal and Mineral line. According to Riversdale’s website, comparison, is a very small player in the Development in Alberta states that the Elan an electrical power system, haul roads, a global coking coal market. So one of the property has previously been poked and coal conveyor system, a coal preparation first questions asked should be - is there a prodded by at least five different compa- plant, a rail load out, maintenance shops, need for Alberta to engage at all in further nies since the 1940s. It is possible to inter- and a laboratory are among the list of new development, consider- pret that as: after the initial interest in the mine infrastructure needed for this proj- ing B.C.’s resources are far more lucrative area, each company has eventually arrived ect to proceed. More infrastructure equals and closer to ports, and the huge ecosystem at the same conclusion – the lease is not an a larger, denser footprint and less wildlife tradeoffs Alberta will make? economically viable coal mining property. habitat. Riversdale has publicized their rail The bird’s eye view of B.C.’s Elk Valley It is far from existing railways and other load out proposals which all suggest using landscape shows a patchwork of large dark infrastructure; the seams are thin and too a conveyor belt to transport coal to a facility dead zones amongst a bounty of mountain steep to allow underground mining; it will on secondary train tracks near Highway 3, peaks and lush valleys. Alberta is preparing be too expensive to produce and ship west in Blairmore. All three proposals are likely to be the next region to adopt that sort of for export; and global coking coal prices to disrupt and may even force some current view. Our view will also include the check- are volatile. town businesses to relocate, increase road ered squares of clear cuts along the south- Meanwhile, the intensity of exploration, and train traffic, and require new over- eastern slopes. As noted in my February through test drill holes, contributes sig- pass structures. Regulatory approval is still 2014 WLA article, Dark and Dirty: Time to nificantly to increased human access and needed for the company to begin construc- Dethrone King Coal in Alberta, coal min- disturbance levels. This is highly valuable tion and operations. Riversdale has hired a ing has significant negative consequences recreation land and critical fish and wild- number of environmental consultants who on the environment due in part to its large life habitat. Kuro, as part of its joint ven- have been collecting baseline data since

10 WLA | November 2014 | Vol. 22, No. 5 | FEATURES Grassy Mountain Mine, now owned by Riversdale Resources, was previously mined. The scar it left on the landscape may once again become an open wound. PHOTO: © B. VERBEEK spring 2013 to gain a better understanding employment and bring new prospects for located less than a kilometre from the mine of the local environment. But even with local businesses – a chance to revitalize the site, are listed as critical habitat in the feder- best management practices and the highest municipality. al recovery strategy for westslope cutthroat environmental responsibility, open pit min- Others strongly oppose the project. These trout. There is a lot these landowners stand ing has long lasting impacts on the mine individuals and groups do not want to see to possibly lose. area and its surroundings. further demolition of the landscape. Some A whole different set of issues could arise To Riversdale’s credit, the company has local landowners are concerned for their here because Grassy Mountain was previ- hosted several open houses where commu- property values, their drinking water and ously mined. Contaminated water sitting nity members and stakeholders have voiced clean air, and their right to solitude and in cavities from previous mining operations both their support and concerns. These quiet. After a tour of one landowner’s prop- could be a major environmental concern. meetings suggest the revival of coal is being erty adjacent to the Grassy Mountain Mine, Whether or not the onus is on Riversdale welcomed by some of the Crowsnest Pass it was easy for me to imagine the direct ad- to take over that liability is unclear. Water community. There is a powerful historical verse effects it will have on these locals and contamination is a very real risk posed by presence of mining in the pass, with many potentially on many southern Albertans. I many types of mining, and one which our family roots to the industry. Also many res- could hear the sound of heavy machinery western neighbours have been facing. Teck idents of Coleman and Blairmore currently up on the hillside in an otherwise tranquil Resources has had a major issue dealing commute west to work on the mines in Elk setting. Wildlife is abundant in the area with elevated levels of selenium in the Elk Valley. Supporters of coal development see and beautifully clear creeks flow through watershed below the mine sites. Selenium it as an economic opportunity for the com- the valley heading east. Many are home to is a naturally occurring metal necessary for munity. They see it as a chance to increase native trout. Gold Creek and its tributaries, the health of all animals in trace amounts.

WLA | November 2014 | Vol. 22, No. 5 | FEATURES 11A A northeast view overlooking Gold Creek – a beautiful wild area in jeopardy from the nearby Grassy Mountain coal mine development. Photo ©: B. VERBEEK

But, as with most metals, it becomes toxic prove water quality over the next several fluent Regulations (MMER). Canadian coal and eventually lethal in large amounts. Ex- years. mines are primarily open pit surface mines cess selenium in fish eggs causes reduced The Crowsnest Pass and the Elk Valley which produce effluent (defined as an out- hatching success and a host of abnormal- share the same geology. Selenium poison- flow of liquid containing deleterious sub- ities in post-hatch survivors. A 2013 re- ing in Alberta’s southern watersheds may stances) from the extraction and process- port by Rick Heuer and Erin Sexton of the become a serious issue if coal develop- ing operations. Most effluent treatment at Flathead Lake Biological Station compared ment continues. This is further supported coal mining operations in Canada is done water quality of the Flathead River and the by ongoing concerns in west-central wa- by conventional means, such as diversion, Elk River upstream and downstream of the tersheds where coal mining is well estab- settling, and sedimentation. The treated ef- five mines. They found significantly higher lished. The risks to our drinking water and fluent is then discharged into the receiving levels of selenium, nitrates, and sulphates our world-renowned trout streams must be environment. In 2012 Environment Cana- in the Elk River below the mine area. The recognized. da proposed to include coal mining under toxic threshold for sensitive fish species is There has been a continued push for in- the existing MMER effluent standards. This 2μg/L (micrograms per litre). Environment creased federal environmental regulation in would ensure pH, total suspended solids, Canada’s data collected below the mines the coal mining sector. Of all the different ammonia, arsenic, aluminum, iron, man- showed concentrations of selenium in fish mining operations in Canada, including ganese, and selenium would have specific eggs frequently exceeded 60μg/L. Teck has metal, diamond, coal, and potash, only release limits. They also proposed that coal been pouring money into addressing the metal mines have a specific regulation un- mine owners and operators be required to problem as part of its effort to try to im- der the Fisheries Act: the Metal Mining Ef- conduct environmental effects monitoring

12 WLA | November 2014 | Vol. 22, No. 5 | FEATURES (EEM) activities that are currently specified in the MMER. These measures would help to fill significant provincial gaps in regulat- ing coal mine effluents. Final approval of Environment Canada’s recommendations would standardize effluent release all across Canada and better control the release of toxic materials into watersheds. As renewed interest in coal leases seeps north from the Crowsnest Pass, environ- mental effects will multiply. Any coal devel- opment approaching the Gap (the crossing the Livingstone Range) and in the upper Oldman watershed, which are both in the scope of Elan’s coal lease ap- plications, must not be considered. Any outdoor enthusiast will tell you that area is blessed with prime fishing, hunting, hik- ing, biking, and camping possibilities. The ecological and recreational value of this largely unprotected country is immeasur- able yet its intactness is rapidly declining. Allowing more coal developments along the Eastern Slopes would take another giant step backwards from securing head- waters. When it comes to coal mining in the Pass, the risks seem far greater than the rewards for Albertans. AWA believes it is incumbent on our gov- ernment to privilege the ecological values of water and wildlife over coal mining in the upper reaches of the Oldman River drainage. If Alberta is seeking to improve its global environmental image, new open pit mines along the classic Eastern Slopes should be out of the question. AWA believes Alberta and B.C. need to cooperate and better represent these val- ues in the balance between economic de- velopment and environmental protection. Further piecemeal dissection of these eco- logically and aesthetically important land- scapes must be prevented.

Gold Creek and its tributaries, part of the Oldman watershed and less than one kilometre from Grassy Mountain Mine, boast pure-strain westslope cutthroat trout. Photo ©: B. VERBEEK

WLA | November 2014 | Vol. 22, No. 5 | FEATURES 13A