Food industry expert and former Lethbridge mayor Chris Spearman foresees agricultural collapse from Grassy Mountain water and soil pollution

"If the government of Japan rejects a load of Cavendish potatoes at any point due to excess selenium in the product, it will shut down the food industry in southwest Alberta."

Downwind, Downstream, Downdoomed (Peter Jowett Photo)

The Alberta Energy Regulator heard evidence December 4 that foreign-owned Northback Holdings persistently stonewalls requests for information about the downstream and downwind impacts on agricultural production and food processing.

The regulator is processing Northback’s application to disinter the coal scheme killed by the very same regulator in 2021. The Alberta government ordered the AER to treat the badly decomposed Grassy Mountain scheme as “an advanced project” deserving of regulatory consideration. Approval of the Northback application for a do-over will be widely and accurately interpreted as submission to partisan politics and will prove the AER has abandoned regulatory integrity as a guiding principle.

Here is the revealing and captivating transcript of Mr. Spearman’s testimony.

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