A bit more on the Coal Town Hall from Lorne.

He's been ruminating, musing, and chewing on this thing. Here's it is.

The opposing views at the Coal Town Hall. Photo: Ose Irete/CBC

In the Aftermath of the Coal Town Hall

Lorne Fitch, P. Biol.

One could have anticipated a polished, respectful, and informed discussion by the UCP at the coal town hall in Ft Macleod on June 11. Instead, it showed the UCP government is even more out of touch with the majority of Albertans on the issue of coal mining in the Eastern Slopes than expected. It remains a mystery why the UCP continue to bark up the coal tree, when the empirical evidence shows there’s no tree worth barking up.

One might suppose they felt obligated to come and explain away the recently revealed issue of selenium contamination in fish in Crowsnest Lake from coal mining. It might have been considered appropriate due diligence to inform the public of a health hazard, but only if they had done this months earlier when they knew there was a problem. Maybe they thought everyone would be busy on a Wednesday evening. As it turned out they rented too small a venue for the over-capacity crowd of Albertans with valid concerns about coal mining.

In preparing for a public forum on coal, given the controversy they have created, one would have thought the premier and three ministers, would have fully briefed themselves and had experts available to help answer questions. This was not the case.

Instead, the premier, the minister of Energy, the minister of Agriculture and the minister of Environment seemed uninformed, under informed, unprepared, misguided, and inept. It seemed for most of the discussion the audience members were better informed than were the UCP politicians.

Some have commented on the unruly, raucous nature of the town hall. People concerned about coal mining are tired of the untruths, tired of the government flip-flops, and weary of how unnecessarily long the coal debate has gone on. If people at the town hall were frustrated and furious, it probably related to an abject failure of the UCP to initially acknowledge their concerns. This is the indelible mark of tone-deaf politicians. Indeed, the best joke of the evening was the premier telling the audience they were there to listen. The ensuing lectures from them had little of the characteristics of listening or hearing.

The stream of consciousness ramblings of the premier about the concentration of selenium in Brazil nuts and the Energy minister asking the audience if they snowmobiled seemed so incongruous and silly. They further embarrassed themselves by trying to blame “Eco activists” for the turmoil, when directly in front of them sat concerned salt of the earth ranchers, farmers, conservationists, and downstream water drinkers.

The UCP seem unable to grasp the issue of selenium contamination from coal mining and the failure to treat contaminated water to meet the threshold for protecting aquatic life. There is no evidence of effective water treatment. Selenium, as well as other toxic products from coal mining pose a human health risk and a risk to agriculture, especially the propensity to bioaccumulate.

The posturing of having to allow mines to open to protect Albertans from inflated law suits is disingenuous, is largely performative, and can be dealt with effectively with appropriate legislation. Why the UCP have not done this is another enduring mystery.

Ignoring the recent Joint federal/provincial review panel decision on the proposed Grassy Mountain mine flies in the face of reason. A panel of adults, having listened to the evidence concluded that not only were there significant environmental issues, but the economics were also suspect, and a coal mine was not in the broad public interest. It is as if the UCP still hasn’t read the decision.

Using a highly suspect and manipulated vote in the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass endorsing coal mining as an indication of broad support was a weak argument at best, and telling in the straws clutched at to rationalize support for coal. Especially when the mine is in another municipality, who do not want it!

Instead of providing a convincing platform of respect, of understanding, of competence, and of listening (and hearing) the UCP bungled the coal town hall. In so doing, this has elevated the debate for more Albertans to weigh in on with their concerns. I wonder if they will be listened to in the same way?