What’s up with coal mining in Alberta? You may have noticed coal mining and exploration in the news a lot over the last few months. Certainly, we have had a few members and concerned citizens asking about coal mining policy changes and proposed mines in Alberta. We hope this article provides a short summary and answers the questions we’ve been hearing.
Rescinding of the 1976 Coal Policy Right before the Victoria Day long weekend, the Alberta Government announced they would be rescinding a policy put in place by the Lougheed government in 1976. The Coal Development Policy for Alberta, also known as the 1976 Coal Policy, categorized public lands into four categories for the purposes of coal exploration and development, based on sensitivity and risk. For example, in Category 1 lands, no exploration or commercial development is permitted. The provincial government has indicated it will continue to prohibit coal activities on former Category 1 lands. However, under the Coal Policy, coal exploration and development on Category 2, 3, and 4 lands were subject to additional scrutiny. In their news release, the provincial government called the Coal Policy “outdated” and indicated it “is being replaced by modern regulatory processes, integrated planning, and land use policies” and to “help attract new investment for an important industry and protect jobs for Albertans.” The statement implies land use planning and existing regulations can effectively replace the Coal Policy. However, only two of seven regional plans are complete (South Saskatchewan and Lower Athabasca) and the current regulatory regime is ill-equipped to address cumulative effects.
TUC expressed our concern over the Coal Policy rescindment to the provincial government in a letter on June 1. You can read our letter here and Energy Minister Sonya Savage’s response here.
Grassy Mountain Coal Project The Grassy Mountain Coal Project, located in Crowsnest Pass, AB was proposed by Benga Mining Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Australian company Riversdale Resources Ltd in 2015. This proposed steelmaking (metallurgical) open-pit coal mine would be built on a legacy mining area and have a 25-year lifespan on a mine footprint of 28 square kilometers. The mine site is located at the headwaters of Gold Creek, which supports critical habitat for threatened Westslope Cutthroat Trout. In 2018, the Alberta Energy Regulator and Federal Minister of Environment established a Joint Review Panel for the project. The Joint Review Panel will be holding a public hearing in October 2020. Trout Unlimited Canada has requested to participate in the hearing in order to share our concerns with potentially adverse effects on water quality, fish habitat, and fish populations that may result from the project. We were successful in this request and will participate in the process.
Other Projects There are a number of other proposed coal mining projects along Alberta’s southern eastern slopes, in various stages of the exploration and approvals process. This includes the Elan Hard Coking Project led by Atrum Coal. This project is in the early stages of exploration in the areas just north of the Grassy Mountain Project. The Tent Mountain Mine, proposed by Montem Resources, plans to build overtop a previous mine site on Tent Mountain, about 16 km west of Coleman.
Further north, the Blackstone Project proposed by Valory Resources Inc is looking at mining in the region southwest of Rocky Mountain House in the upper North Saskatchewan River watershed while Ram River Coal has its eyes on the Ram River region, also in the upper North Saskatchewan basin.
And some hopeful news…the federal Minister of Environment and Climate change recently announced a decision to approve the request for a federal impact assessment for a major expansion of the Vista Coal Mine in the Hinton area. It was previously decided that a federal assessment was not necessary but new information and concerns were raised which led to this recent decision.
Coal mining is not new to Alberta. Communities have been founded on this activity and existing mines provide jobs to local communities. However, their impacts on fish populations and water quality can be very detrimental, despite best efforts to mitigate risks. In addition, the effects of multiple activities and developments (example: mining, roads, forestry, recreation, poaching, etc.) occurring together are cumulative, which further complicates efforts to address these threats. The trade-offs that come with strip-mining must be considered very carefully in areas that support some of the last remaining habitats for species at risk and that provide valuable ecosystem services (including recreation, water quality, and water flow).
TUC will continue to watch these development proposals as they progress through the approvals processes.
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