Lake level increase gets study

Lake level increase gets study BRIiN LAG HI JcJijnal Staff Writer Edmonton Tie Alberta government wants a sudy and an independent panel to review the environmental impict of raising the level of a lake nea: Premier Don Getty's new Stetler home. Eivironment Minister Ralph Kleh announced Tuesday a Cal-garj firm has been asked to pre-pan an environmental impact assesment on raising Buffalo Lale's water level. An indepen-den panel will also be appointed to nview the assessment. ILwever, critics for the main oppeition parties chuckled at the announcement, calling it a clumsy attenpt to give the controversial proj « ct credibility. '" lhe objective of this project is to povide an independent, scien-tificdly credible assessment of the envionment impacts associated ( witt the project)," Klein said in a new: release. BuTalo Lake is just north of Roctan Sands, near where Getty plan; to build his new home. The hou& overlooks the lake, which has > een described by local resi­dent as a slough. Tie decision to increase thgijfwa-ter l< vel caused a stir recently be-caust the approval came only monhs after Getty won the Stettl­er Selection. Raising the lake's levelhas been an issue in the area at lest since the early 1970s. Literal environment critic Grant Mitclell said Klein's move is a cyn­ical nanoeuvre to give the project needed credibility. " It certainly is positive that the miniter would undertake that in the case of Buffalo, but how could he rot do the same with Alberta Enei? y Company and Daishowa?" Mitciell asked, referring to two propsed major pulp projects in nortlern Alberta. " A best, it's an attempt to sperd $ 15 million to fill the pre­miers lake." N< w Democrat critic John Mcln-nis ? alled the announcement a " clunsy way to whip up support in the a- ea for the idea," and said the envionment department's credibi­lity E on the line. H< noted that earlier environ-menal studies found increasing the ake's level could also cause a probem by increasing algae. " This was not a good idea until Mr. Getty won an election last May' said Mclnnis. Tlree studies by the environ-men department this decade said the Han would clog the lake with alga*. But the department recently concuded the problem won't be as bad is first predicted. Tie lake's level will be raised withwater diverted from the Red Deei River.