Alberta regulations aimed at preventing old coal mines from contaminating currents and lakes are failing, suggests a study of government scientists.
The study says that the high levels of numerous pollutants are having serious results for aquatic life and its ecosystems.
Bill Donahue, one of the authors of the study and former head of Environmental Monitoring of the Alberta government, said in an interview that the study demonstrates “regulatory inaction.”
“These results suggest that current recovery practices and regulatory requirements for water quality and aquatic ecosystems do not meet the desired objectives,” the authors write at the end of the report.
The study reviewed by pairs is three scientists from the government of Alberta and Donahue, who is now an environmental consultant.
They took samples of rivers about three old coal mines to the south of Hinton, high., Which are four kilometers from the Jasper National Park at its closest point. The mines closed in the early 2000s.
‘Persistent threat’ of selenium
The authors discovered some improvements in water quality since the mining activities ended. But in the downstream rivers of those mines, they found high concentrations of several pollutants in the water.
In the Luscar Creek and Gregg river, for example, nickel relations were 200 times more downstream of the mines than in the upstream water.
The planned expansion of the coal mine seen near Hinton, high., Would make it the largest mine of its kind in North America. After five months of consideration, the Canada’s impact assessment agency says that the project can continue without a federal study that explores the potential environment and its social impacts. Acton Clarkin of the CBC informs.
In the nearby McLeod river basin, they determined that selenium levels and other ions provide a “persistent threat to water quality”, despite a mine has almost completely recovered and another is 60 percent recovered.
The authors analyzed the number of samples in which Selenium concentrations exceeded the Alberta Protection Guide of Aquatic Life, a limit that the province uses to determine when pollution levels would probably cause damage to an ecosystem.
In six locations, from 98 to 100 percent of the test samples found that selenium concentrations exceeded that limit.
They write that high selenium levels have “insidious” effects on certain fish and birds, because the substance is transmitted from parents to offspring and presents deformities and harms their ability to reproduce. Otherwise, it is a natural element that is vital in small quantities.
The authors also point out that the McLeod river basin is the home of the rainbow trout of Athabasca, listed as the law of species at risk of Canada in danger of extinction, a law created to protect and recover species at risk.
They write that the trout is probably extinguished. In more general terms, they write that a growing research body shows “recovery and mitigation practices may not restore aquatic habitat or reverse ecological damage.”
A ‘warning flag’ for the future coal
Donahue said that it is not sure that adequate regulations can be created to reverse the impacts of coal mining, because there is little historical evidence that companies have been able to do so after having finished operations, regardless of how much money they spend.
“The big lie is that Albertaos seem to think that the regulator will see what is presented and, if those promises and requirements are not met, then the company will have to solve it,” he said.
“Well, here is the document that says that is not true.”
Donahue also called the study a “warning flag” for future coal projects in Alberta.
Earlier this year, Alberta Energy Regulator granted a coal permit with Australia headquarters to start a controversial coal exploration on the eastern slopes of the rocky mountains, concluding that the small -scale project will probably have no effect on the quality of the water downstream.
The regulator said at that time that he could not consider the possibility that the exploration permit will lead to a full -fledged coal mine in the future.
The country musician Corb Lund calls himself ‘a reluctant activist against the anti-coal mine’, but says his opposition to the new coal exploration in his province of origin, unites the Albertans of the entire political spectrum.
Ryan Fournier, press secretary of the Alberta Ministry of Environment, said the province has shared the study with the regulator and that it is one of the reasons why the province does not allow more open well mines.
It depends on the regulator to decide whether more monitoring or actions are needed in the bodies of water to which reference is made in the study, said Fournier, adding that selenium levels sometimes exceeded the levels of alert for fish protection, but currently there is no evidence of decreased population.
“These results are also why any new mines will be required to be underground mines or use advanced selenium management techniques and implement latest technology and monitoring to protect the surrounding environment,” he wrote in a statement.
The regulator said in a statement that he is reviewing the findings.
When asked if he was aware of selenium concentrations in Luscar Creek or the Gregg River, the regulator said it has a long -standing requirement so that approval holders reduce selenium concentrations at levels that do not affect the aquatic environment and have tools to enforce regulatory compliance.
“It is expected that the achievement of selenium reduction objectives progress for several years as the mines move towards recovery,” he said.
