Conservation group's attempt to stop Alberta gravel pit mine denied by board
An attempt by a conservation group to stop a proposed gravel pit north of Calgary has failed.
In a decision dated March 6, the Alberta Environment Appeals Board (AEAB) said while the Bighill Creek Preservation Society (BCPS) raised some important points, a stay of proceedings would be "unlikely to achieve" its goal of stopping the mine.
Last August, the BCPS raised environmental concerns over the approval of proposed gravel mine, which would see Mountain Ash Ltd. open a 130-hectare open-pit operation northeast of Cochrane at the corner of Highway 567 and Range Road 40.
The BCPS said it could negatively impact groundwater, which could harm a natural spring, Big Hill Provincial Park, wetlands and riparian habitats.
The AEAB confirmed that the company's pit site is located on the aquifer, located about 800 metres from the park and its springs, but concluded the province's approval didn't have anything to do with the project's activities.
"The approval addresses how the project can interact with the wetlands on the site, and provides permission for certain activities to commence, continue, or discontinue in relation to the wetlands within the project area, as defined in the approval as 'the activity,'" the AEAB said in its decision.
"The approval does not address any aspects of the registration, or proposed activities under the registration, because there is no need: the project is a dry pit and involves no excavation below or at the groundwater table."
Mountain Ash, which also participated in the hearing, also said the BCPS' concerns "are not reasonable."
"The approval holder stated that the (consultation) report, prepared in response to the appellant's statements of concern, found no measurable effects on hydrogeology at Big Hill Springs will occur, and therefore no irreparable harm to the appellant will occur," the decision read.
"Any harm alleged is too speculative and should be given little weight."
A dust storm from the nearby Hillstone mine illustrates one of the many concerns opponents have over a new gravel mine near Alberta's Big Springs Provincial Park. (Photo: Gerry Bietz)
Despite the Mountain Ash's belief that groundwater would not be harmed by the mine, the AEAB said the BCPS "raised a serious concern," but it's something that would need to be discussed further at a merits hearing.
The AEAB also said it was "persuaded" that the BCPS would suffer irreparable harm if groundwater was contaminated by the mine, given that its mission is to maintain the ecological integrity of the area.
However, with those points in mind, the board said a stay of the provincial approval "is not the place to test the allegations of potential harm" nor is it in the public interest.
"A stay of the Water Act portion of the regulatory authorizations would not necessarily halt or limit development at the site," the board said.
"Moreover, as the approval holder has pointed out, the board notes that many of the concerns raised by the appellant in their submissions relate to the registration."
While the stay was denied, an appeal against the gravel mine is still ongoing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.