Alberta’s UCP caucus has launched an information campaign in direct response to the overwhelming public reaction to the provincial government’s decision to revoke a 1976 coal policy that blocked development on some parts of the eastern slopes of the Rockies.
It’s called “Coal Hard Facts” and addresses statements on “responsible coal development.”
Concerned members of the public recently sent countless letters and made calls to MLA regarding the decision that could allow open-pit coal mining in the region. Well-known musicians like Corb Lund, Paul Brandt, Jann Arden and k.d. Lang have been among those speaking out and hoping the province restores a policy that protects the Category 2 lands from coal exploration.
READ MORE: Contaminant from coal mines already high in some Alberta rivers: unreported data
Livingstone-Macleod MLA Roger Reid said the campaign is intended to simply deliver information and not to offer an anti-coal or pro-coal message.
“There are very real and valid concerns about our watershed and since Jan. 1,” he said.
“It’s been all consuming to connect and respond and have meetings with constituents.”
Reid said he wanted to offer constituents answers to their questions.
“It’s complicated and there is a lot of misunderstanding and people are passionate,” he said. “We wanted to be sure they want to have straightforward facts to easily be able to read and understand what they may be hearing and what the realities are about environmental protections in this province.
“We felt it was important to put something up that’s simple and not government information but information from us as the UCP.”
READ MORE: Alberta government policy change on coal mining in Rockies in court
There are backcountry groups such as Bragg Creek and Kananaskis Outdoor Recreation now using social media to raise concerns about the UCP campaign, accusing the caucus of using “tax dollars to create a website that told us we didn’t see what we saw.”
David Luff, who helped implement former premier Peter Lougheed’s 1976 coal policy, called the UCP campaign a desperate attempt ease the outrage, and added he believes it may backfire.
“The backbench MLAs are desperate to give answers to their constituents,” he said.
“The document is full of misrepresentations of the truth and the public isn’t going to back down.”
Luff said he suspects the public believes this is a message from the provincial government.
“It’s not the government of Alberta speaking — it’s the caucus — and so it says to me the government has no plan to address public concerns about the coal policy,” he said. “This document is trying to imply that the facts are based on science when they’re not.
“It’s based on political decision made without any public consultation of the people affected by it.”
Luff said he is convinced the campaign will get the public even more engaged on the issue.
“Various social media platforms have lit up and more and more people every day are becoming aware of the issue,” he said.