Welcome To Alberta, Where Mountaintop Removal Mining Isn't REALLY Mountaintop Removal Mining!

[hatrack]

In Alberta, the government of Jason Kenney has one definition for mountaintop removal, while most people have another. You might think that excavating the top of a mountain until it’s reduced to a series of carved away “benches” that rise like giant steps to a last shred of a mountain’s peak is “mountaintop removal.” If so, you disagree with the Alberta government.

Here’s someone else who disagrees with the Kenney definition. Australian coal miners. While the Kenney government claims mountaintop removal can’t happen in Alberta’s water-sensitive eastern slopes, Benga Mining, an Australian firm owned by Aussie billionaire Gina Rinehart, says that’s the technique it intends to employ — and in a joint federal-provincial hearing no less.

Last week, the Kenney government told the Narwhal in a series of emails that open-pit mining can’t be called mountaintop removal if it only removes, say, 90 per cent of a mountaintop. By Alberta’s definition, the top of the mountain has to be “completely” removed to qualify as mountaintop removal. The Alberta Energy Regulator and Kenney spokesperson Kavi Bal both informed the Narwhal that open-pit mining can scrape off the sides of a mountain, devein coal seams and leave a ridge a pockmarked shadow of itself after removing tonnes of toxic debris, and that’s OK: because it’s open-pit mining, and not mountaintop removal.

EDIT

“And then, Mr. Houston, is there any difference between open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining?” asked Fitch, who represented the Livingstone Landowners Group, which is opposed to the mine. “I think that they’re both the same thing,” replied Houston. The mining executive later elaborated: “I’m saying that the techniques are the same, and there’s little distinction in terms of the process.” Fitch continued his query: “And this mine will be located on a mountain, and you’re going to be removing the top of that mountain, correct?” “The coal — the coal deposits are up the mountain, yes, and — and so we’ll have to remove soil at the top of the mountain,” confirmed Houston.

EDIT

https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/03/05/Mountaintop-Removal-Alberta/

[mopinko]

1. i can guess that the outcome might be different.

but not that it isnt a bad idea.
likely less destructive, but as long as you are cutting big trees you are fucking up.
just no.