OUR LAC STE ANNE COMMUNITY IS AT RISK !
Rural and Urban Albertans Meet to Tackle Gravel Mining Issues in the Province
Representatives say more accountability is required by provincial and municipal governments
February 1 2010 (Edmonton) — Representatives from seven Alberta communities gathered last Saturday to discuss the affects of current and proposed gravel mining projects on their communities and the environment.
“Gravel mining is a direct threat to Alberta’s water supplies. The sand and gravel deposits allow for underground water to integrate with the landscape, wetlands, creeks and rivers. Most rural Albertans only source of drinking water is from these gravel aquifers. To interfere with the flow of underground water, to contaminate the underground water with mining affects both well water and surface water for miles around", said Patricia Fish of the Lac Ste Anne Community Group. “Whenever we are taking gravel out of water, it is a bad idea for everyone - for watersheds, landscapes, and people!"
“We’re losing some of Alberta’s prime farmland as a result of gravel mining. Albertans need food security, and productive farm land provides more value than empty gravel pits in the long run”, said Dale Christian, a farmer from the Red Deer area.
Some communities have been fighting irresponsible gravel mining proposals for over a decade, others are just beginning their struggle. In most instances, communities are inundated with repeated gravel mining applications – many have successfully organized resident opposition and defeated individual applications only to have another project apply six months later.
“While we come from different communities across the province, we are all victims of the same problem - the constant barrage of gravel mining proposals that seem to have little concern for the environment, human health or the livability of our communities,” said Donna Mendelsohn, a concerned resident of Fort Assiniboine.
Representatives identified a long list of concerns related to: air pollution, health impacts such as respiratory illness, safety concerns with traffic, un-reclaimed pits, impacts to the local water resources, and the loss of farmland. These concerns have been largely ignored by municipal governments, Alberta Environment, and the gravel extraction companies themselves.
Representatives agreed on the need for implementation of the following key regulatory strategies:
- Identification in provincial and municipal legislation of lands deemed inappropriate for gravel excavation, i.e., where groundwater is at risk, on prime farmlands, or in river valleys;
- Implementation of a municipal “three-strikes and you’re out” bylaw, i.e., after three unsuccessful attempts at a project application, a corporation would no longer be eligible to apply for a mining project on that same site;
- Requirement for a full approval process for gravel mining projects, where a complete environmental impact assessment must be completed; and
- Independent third party monitoring of gravel mining impacts on drinking water, river ecosystems, air quality and health.
“We are coming together to share stories and strategies so we can start to determine how Albertans can mobilize to protect our water and our communities, and keep our municipal and provincial governments accountable when it comes to gravel mining”, said Donna Mendelsohn.
Several participants are available for comment.
The event was
hosted by the Sierra Club Prairie.
For more information, please contact:
Patricia Fish, Lac St.Anne, 780-967-4774
Donna Mendelsohn, Fort Assiniboine, 780-584-2347
Dale Christian, Red Deer/Innisfail, 403-588-3845
Roger Pogue, Edmonton, 780-913-2339
Leila Darwish, Sierra Club, Edmonton, 780-996-1347
" The only thing necessary for evil to triumph
is for enough good men to do nothing"
Edmund Burke - Philosopher
