"Contractual Obligations" and "Advanced Projects"
Katie Morrison and David Thomas both weigh in nicely on this topic.
While visiting Vern Emard at his cabin one day which sits right across the valley from Grassy Mtn., I was able to get “up close and personal” to the coal seam. In and of itself, it’s an interesting piece of geology as you view the various bands of the formation giving a real sense of the kinds of pressures involved in creating it.
But then notice the amount of overburden above and around it which would potentially be removed and discarded where? In the valley which holds Blairmore Creek in large part. Much will ultimately find its way into the Gold Creek side which lies between your current viewing perspective and the coal seam you’re looking at.
I think when you can put that image together it’s pretty clear how devastating a proposition this is.
Ever since Brian Jean gave birth to the idea of an “advanced project” in the context of industrial development in our watershed, the term has caused much confusion and consternation among Albertans. More Albertans, especially those that continue to think that Grassy is no longer an issue because of the rejection by the AER and both levels of Appeal Courts when Northback was Benga, need to be reminded that this is all back again in earnest. But a new twist has also been added called, “contractual obligations”.
Having said that, I ask that as a recipient of these emails you PLEASE forward them onto others to rekindle awareness around the severity of this situation.
So far as “advanced project” terminology goes, not to mention our wonderings around “contractual obligations”, Katie Morrison of CPAWS and David Thomas of Crowsnest Headwaters call this out in spades in the following article from the St. Albert Gazette which you can read if you click here. And I encourage you to do so.
Thanks for the continued support in this fight.
Ty for sharing.