Thomas Adams
Financial Post
November 13, 1998

Fred McMahon’s overwhelming economic and environmental arguments (Time to pay off the miners in Cape Breton, Nov. 10) to eliminate subsidies sustaining the coal industry in Cape Breton apply with equal force to the coal industry in New Brunswick.

NB Coal, New Brunswick’s provincially-owned coal industry, produces even dirtier, higher sulphur coal than its Cape Breton counterpart, Devco. NB Coal is devastating the ecosystems where it strip mines. Like Devco, NB Coal can’t compete against imported coal and relies on a hidden subsidy paid by overcharged electricity consumers.

The new Sable Island natural gas industry, which will begin large scale deliveries to consumers in the Maritimes and New England next year, provides a clean and cost-effective energy alternative to locally produced coal.

The absurdity of Devco and NB Coal make wonderful arguments for why government should get out of the energy industry.

Thomas Adams,
Executive Director,
Energy Probe, Toronto.