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
Feds 'not interested' in investing in LNG facilities: energy minister
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is 'not interested' in subsidizing future liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, including the electrification of projects currently in the works.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
Aerial photos show wide devastation left by tornado in China's Guangzhou
Aerial photos posted by Chinese state media on Sunday showed the wide devastation of a part of the southern city of Guangzhou after a tornado swept through the day before, killing five people, injuring dozens others and damaging over a hundred buildings.
Health minister 'deeply appreciative' of doctors but capital gains changes here to stay
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
A top Qatari official urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a ceasefire deal
A senior Qatari official has urged both Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds on both sides to move toward a deal that would set Israeli hostages free and bring potential respite in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
What Trudeau's podcast appearances say about the Liberals' next ballot box question
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Russian drones set a hotel ablaze in a Ukrainian Black Sea city
Russian drones early Sunday struck the Black Sea city of Mykolaiv, setting a hotel ablaze and damaging energy infrastructure, the local Ukrainian governor reported, while ammunition shortages continued to hobble Kyiv's troops in the more than two-year-old war.
A munitions explosion at a Cambodian army base kills 20 soldiers, but its cause is unclear
Security was tight around a military base in southwestern Cambodia on Sunday, a day after a huge explosion there killed 20 soldiers, wounded others and damaged nearby houses.
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.