Lethbridge, you should be worried, very worried
City draws its raw drinking water directly from the Oldman River -- downstream from potential selenium-spiked effluent from Northback's Grassy Mountain coal mine
“The City of Lethbridge gets all of its water from the Oldman River. A river is considered a surface water supply. Lethbridge does not use groundwater from wells. Lethbridge's Water Treatment Plant processes river water into safe, healthy drinking water.” - City of Lethbridge website
A shot of selenium in that drink? Photo by Peter Jowett
Lethbridge sits at the target of a poisonous cocktail of coal mine effluent that could seep into the Eastern Slopes watershed if Australian speculator Northback is allowed to reopen Grassy Mountain mine near Crowsnest Pass.
This unwitting city could share the sad and dangerous legacy of both Sparwood and Fernie, BC — both now confirming irreversibly poisoned water supplies, directly caused by the effluent of upstream coal mines.
So why doesn't Lethbridge city council want any part in lobbying the UCP government to stop this hillbilly coal movement in its tracks? It seems reluctant to engage any groups or individuals who only wish to save the water supply and the citizens from a toxic infusion lasting hundreds of years. Why?
Here is a recent report from The Environment Journal with a clear vision of what the coal mining does to a previously healthy landscape.
https://environmentjournal.ca/new-guide-examines-the-environmental-impact-of-the-mining-industry/
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