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LETTER: Earthquake raises concerns about TransAlta dam infrastructure

Editor: As a geotechnical engineer and resident of South Canmore, I read the article about TransAlta’s investigations following the 3.9 earthquake in Banff with great interest (RMO 2021.02.18).

Editor:

As a geotechnical engineer and resident of South Canmore, I read the article about TransAlta’s investigations following the 3.9 earthquake in Banff with great interest (RMO 2021.02.18).

My wife and I were not in town at the time; however, our daughter felt the “boom” and some items fell off our bookshelf.

It is comforting to read that “no issues of concern were identified at any of the dams” following detailed engineering inspections and reading of instruments by TransAlta.

However, the statement by Banff’s fire chief and director of emergency management Silvio Adamo that if the Lake Minnewanka dam “has a catastrophic failure, the effects are felt all the way to [Medicine Hat]” raises some concerns. 

For instance, what would be the extent of flooding in the Town of Canmore caused by a breach of the Lake Minnewanka dam, or by a large release of water from the lake during a less extreme event?

And perhaps more important, how would we residents be notified in the case of such emergencies? Following the suggestion by Mr. Adamo in the RMO article, I have signed up for emergency alerts at banff.ca/alert, however I would welcome additional information from the Town of Canmore on the status of local emergency response plans related to breaches of nearby dams. 

Heinrich Heinz,

Canmore

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