Corb Lund Calls for Immediate Coal Moratorium Amid Elections Alberta Staff Resignations Raising Questions over Water Not Coal Petition Validation

Lethbridge, Alberta, September 16th, 2026 — Musician and sixth-generation Albertan Corb Lund, proponent of the Water Not Coal initiative, has issued a formal request to Premier Danielle Smith calling for an immediate moratorium on all new coal development approvals, expansions, and exploration in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes.

In a detailed letter delivered to the Premier last week, Lund warns that renewed coal activity poses serious and irreversible risks to Alberta’s headwaters, fisheries, ranchlands, and downstream communities. He states that the Government of Alberta must pause all coal-related decisions until the courts, independent science, and a full public review have completed their work.

Concerns Raised About Petition Validation Process

Lund’s letter follows the July filing of a formal judicial review application with the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, which asks the Court to examine Elections Alberta’s handling of the Water Not Coal petition. The application raises serious concerns — including the reasonableness of decisions and procedural fairness — concerns now echoed by former Elections Alberta staff.

Lund’s letter introduces new allegations contained in a separate letter sent to the Standing Committee on Legislative Offices from five former employees of Elections Alberta who resigned during the petition’s validation period. These long-serving employees reported significant internal disruption, shifting procedures, and a breakdown in oversight that they believe compromised the integrity of the validation process. These long-serving employees reported:

• Changing and inconsistent procedures
• Lack of access to training materials
• Abrupt shifts in signature validation criteria
• A work environment so unstable that the project risked failing legislated timelines

The staff, who previously validated the Alberta Forever Canada petition in less than half the required time, stated that they were excluded from key decisions and denied access to materials needed to perform their duties. The letter quotes;

• “We are reaching out to you about our concerns regarding the integrity of the petition review process — specifically the lack of oversight, inconsistent processes, and procedures that put into question the integrity of the final Water Not Coal petition validation results.”
• “We feel the barrage of process changes jeopardized the integrity of the validation process and the identity and reputation of Elections Alberta.”

“These departures, and the concerns they documented, raise legitimate questions about whether the Water Not Coal petition was reviewed in a fair, consistent, and procedurally sound manner,” Lund says, calling the issue one of public trust in democratic processes.

Lund’s letter follows a judicial review recently filed under the Water Not Coal initiative, which challenges aspects of the province’s coal approval processes. He notes that the stakes for Alberta’s Eastern Slopes — the source of drinking water for millions — remain “urgent and unresolved.”

He also references Premier Smith’s recent public comment expressing interest in “continuing to work with Corb Lund on this issue,” stating that a moratorium is the necessary first step toward any meaningful collaboration.

Broad Public Support for Protecting the Eastern Slopes

The Water Not Coal petition has received more than 200,000 signatures, with 172,088 validated by Elections Alberta — representing roughly 10% of voters from the last provincial election. Lund notes that this level of engagement demonstrates widespread, cross-partisan concern about coal development in the Eastern Slopes.

“Concerned Albertans are not going away on this issue,” Lund writes. “This is not a niche topic — it is a matter of long-term public interest.”

Lund’s Requests to the Premier

In his letter, Lund respectfully asks Premier Smith to:

• Announce an immediate moratorium on new coal development approvals, expansions, and exploration in the Eastern Slopes until the judicial review is complete and independent, peer-reviewed environmental assessments are conducted.
• Commit to a transparent process for evaluating existing approvals that may not have fully considered cumulative watershed impacts.
• Meet with Lund to discuss evidence-based measures to protect drinking water, fisheries, ranchlands, and the long-term ecological and economic health of the Eastern Slopes.

“I have nothing to gain from this except keeping the water and ranchland intact.”

Lund emphasizes that his involvement is not political but rooted in stewardship. After meeting with both pro-coal and anti-coal voices and conducting extensive research, he concluded that coal mining in the Eastern Slopes would “permanently alter the landscape and have a serious effect on our water for generations.”

“This is such an important issue for Alberta’s future that I have no moral choice but to remain committed to it,” he says.

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Availability

Corb Lund is available for interviews. A full copy of the letter Corb Lund sent to Premier Smith is available by request.

Media Contact:
Laura Laing
Water Not Coal
Laura@waternotcoal.ca
Cell/Text. 403.969.0921