Coalition against coal

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The battle over the Cheviot Mine project is reaching a boiling point.

A coalition of 16 environmental groups across North America has come together under the banner of conservation. They are fighting the proposed Cheviot Mine project, located near the Jasper National Park. The coalition is part of an international campaign to fight the proposed strip mine from going ahead.

Environmentalists contend the proposed coal mine area is a habitat for several rare plant species, the endangered Athabasca rainbow and bull trout, and a wildlife corridor for wolf, wolverine and the grizzly bear.

Cardinal River Coals has proposed to build a $250-million open-pit coal mine, which would begin operation in 1999. The mine would replace the existing 28-year-old Luscar mine, which will deplete its coal reserves within the next three years. If approved by the provincial and federal governments, construction could begin as early as this fall. Construction on the new mine will provide up to 300 temporary jobs over the next three years and approximately 450 full-time positions once the mine is fully operational.

Environmentalists fear the decision of a federal-provincial panel in June, giving the project go-ahead, is short-sighted and based solely on money.

"This is about economics, nothing more. It's simply not acceptable in this day and age," said Gray Jones, executive director of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. "We will do anything it takes to stop this project from going ahead."

Aboriginal groups in the coalition are concerned about the long-term effects in the area. Hunting restrictions near the mine site is just one of those concerns.

Duane Good Striker of the Alberta Treaty Nations Environmental Secretariat said Alberta's First Nations have the right to hunt, trap, and fish in their traditional Treaty areas, as guaranteed by the Canadian Constitution Act of 1982. Good Striker called the project an "illegal transfer of natural resources to the province by the federal government."

"We are talking not only about ourselves, but the generations that follow," explained Good Striker. "This is about the renewal of Mother Earth. This proposal is almost a blasphemous creation."

The word from the company is that any restrictions are because of safety concerns.

"In an active area we can't have hunting," said Bill Hume, general manager. of the mining company "It's simply unsafe and we don't want anyone getting hurt."

The people at the Smallboy Camp, a Native community of 150 people, located beside the proposed site, also don't want to see anyone hurt. But they also don't want to see a large coal mine taking away their rights and hurting their community and traditions. But Bob Logan, senior environmental planner for the mining company, said they aren't looking for a fight. They will listen to all concerns.

"We look at ourselves as the temporary landlords of this area," said Logan. "We will be looking after the area for another 15 years after we leave the site. We want to resolve the issues and give assurance to concerned groups."

In the meantime, the plans for construction are going ahead. As many as 32 pits could be dug in an area as wide as the City of Edmonton. Some of the pits would be as large as Edmonton's Hawrelak Park and four times deeper than the height of the High Level Bridge.

In the first few years, Cardinal River Coals officials said small vegetation will grow back, followed by larger foliage in a decade or two, which will be beneficial to animals like the elk. But it will take 80 or 100 years before the habitat is fully returned to its natural state of dense forest cover.

Despite being in the hot seat, Cardinal River Coals officials are confident the Cheviot project will go ahead.

"We are cautiously optimistic," said Hume. "We've tried to do everything we can in terms of public involvement and environmental assessment. We've really gone the extra mile."