Premier won't back off lake stabilization plan

The Edmonton Journal, Wednesday, December 12,1990 A7 Premier won't back off lake stabilization plan ' Healthy Buffalo Lake' would help tourism, recreation RICHARD HELM Journal Staff Writer Edmonton Premier Don Getty says he won't stop promoting a stabilization plan for a recreational lake near his Stettler property. Under questioning from the Opposition Tuesday, Getty pre­dicted the Buffalo Lake project would proceed even though envi­ronmental hearings on the proposal have not yet been held. Getty told the assembly he wants to see Stettler develop as one of Alberta's top tourism areas. " One of the keys to it is having a healthy Buffalo Lake as a recre­ation- tourism attraction, and we're going to do all the necessary things from an environmental point of view, and then we're going to make it happen," he said. " Isn't it too bad?" The premier aimed the last barb at West Yellowhead New Democrat Gerry Doyle, who had questioned the propriety of Getty's lobbying efforts. Last summer, Getty purchased four quarter sections of land south and west of the Rochon Sands Provincial Park and summer village, about 160 km southwest of Edmonton. The premier has said he purchased the 640 acres to graze cattle but some locals have speculated he plans to develop a golf resort there after he leaves politics. In light of Getty's land invest­ment it is no longer appropriate for the premer to actively push for the $ 15- million lake project, Doyle said. Doyle also suggested the stabili­zation of the water level in Bufalo Lake will increase the value of the land surrounding the lake. Outside the house, Getty scoffed at the suggestion he stands to ben­efit from work to stabilize the lake overlooked by his hilltop residence, a few kilometres north of Stettler. " I think it's going to meet all the environmental standards and it's going to be a great project for cen­tral Alberta," Getty told reporters. But Doyle charged that Getty stands to benefit if the project should proceed. " It sounds like there's been deci­sions made already," Doyle said. " I think they're going to go ahead with it no matter what the cost to the environment" Environment Minister Ralph Klein said he's aware Getty is. a keen supporter of the Buffalo Lake proposal. But he insisted the pro­ject will only proceed if it passes proper environmental standards.. " I'm sure that he wants it to go ahead and I'm sure that Ron Moore, the member for Lacombe, wants it to go ahead, but if it's environmentally unsafe then it simply won't happen," Klein told reporters. " There will be public hearings on it. It will go through the normal process and if indeed it can be done then we will do what we can to stablilize Buffalo Lake." Klein expects a panel will be convened and public hearings held in February. The question of whether the wa­ter level of Buffalo Lake should be stabilized with water diverted from the Red Deer River has been un­der government consideration off and on for 12 years. Prior studies of the proposal have concluded it would be envi­ronmentally harmful and make no economic sense. About a year ago, a new study concluded the diver­sion project could proceed.