EDMONTON — Alberta’s authorities has quietly rescinded its moratorium on new coal exploration and growth within the jap slopes of the Rocky Mountains. It is a transfer critics say means the province has declared open season on renewed coal mining.
EDMONTON — Alberta’s authorities has quietly rescinded its moratorium on new coal exploration and growth within the jap slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
It is a transfer critics say means the province has declared open season on renewed coal mining.
In a letter to the Alberta Vitality Regulator posted to its web site Monday, Vitality Minister Brian Jean mentioned lifting a 2022 moratorium will “scale back regulatory confusion” round coal mining.
Jean additionally directed the regulator to present “due consideration” to the federal government’s new coverage intention, first introduced in December. Beneath that plan, the federal government mentioned it should require firms to indicate how they will stop poisonous selenium from leaching into watersheds. Nonetheless, that coverage, led by trade consultations, has but to be totally developed or carried out.
The tip of the moratorium comes as 5 coal firms are taking the Alberta authorities to court docket, looking for greater than a mixed $15 billion in misplaced revenues and sunk prices that they are saying they’re owed because of the federal government’s back-and-forth coverage manoeuvres.
They’re anticipated to seem in court docket within the spring.
Issues about coal mining peaked in 2020, when the province introduced it might take away guidelines that had protected the jap slopes of the Rockies from open-pit coal mining since 1976 and commenced issuing leases.
After a deluge of public pushback, the United Conservative Occasion authorities reinstated the protections and stopped promoting exploration leases.
The 1976 coal coverage stays in impact, limiting all exploration and growth on Class 1 lands, which embody parks, wilderness areas and wildlife sanctuaries.
Nigel Bankes, professor emeritus of legislation on the College of Calgary, mentioned apart from these lands, “it is open season” for coal growth in areas at present leased.
He additionally mentioned it seems the federal government made the transfer to kill the authorized motion towards it. “It’s totally probably it knocks the muse out from these circumstances,” mentioned Bankes in an interview.
He mentioned it was dangerous decision-making that put the province in a weak authorized place within the first place, however mentioned they’ve choices.
“(They might) go a statute saying, ‘We’re not paying compensation,'” mentioned Bankes. He mentioned Albertans must be involved about renewed mining, significantly those that reside downstream of potential initiatives.
“Folks thought we put coal to mattress,” he mentioned.
“What Albertans are studying is that is truly not what this authorities thinks.”
Jean’s workplace mentioned in an announcement Monday night that the ministerial order is a “housekeeping” change to implement what was introduced in December.
“This doesn’t open the door for coal growth initiatives hoping to get approval earlier than the brand new guidelines come into drive,” the assertion mentioned, including that the regulator can be anticipated to maintain the objectives of the incoming coverage in thoughts when taking a look at coal exploration functions.
That features a ban on any new open-pit mining, though critics mentioned final month that time period wasn’t clearly outlined by the federal government.
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s Alberta chapter mentioned the change means new coal mine exploration and growth on greater than 1,880 sq. kilometres of leases may start as early because the spring.
The transfer additionally comes as a contentious mine challenge being proposed within the Crowsnest Move by Northback Holdings progresses by way of the regulatory approval course of. The wilderness society mentioned it means the Grassy Mountain challenge can proceed with out a massive regulatory hurdle.
The society mentioned firms are already being knowledgeable that their exploration permits are reactivated.
Kennedy Halvorson, a conservationist with the Alberta Wilderness Affiliation, mentioned the federal government’s newest transfer is untimely, as the federal government had mentioned it was within the means of growing its new coal coverage.
“It opens up numerous lands for exploration and growth which were protected within the final couple years whereas the federal government was meant to be looking for readability on how they transfer ahead with this trade,” she mentioned.
“It looks as if all of those firms can now choose up type of precisely the place they ended off in that course of and begin to push their functions by way of the regulatory course of earlier than we’ve got solutions.”
Opposition NDP surroundings critic Sarah Elmeligi mentioned the UCP is opening the jap slopes for coal mining and growth, whereas additionally creating confusion and uncertainty.
She mentioned the UCP’s coverage shifts created the chance for coal mining firms to count on compensation, and now the federal government is telling them the moratorium was only a pause.
“However by doing that, they’re breaking the promise they made to Albertans that they might shield the jap slopes,” Elmeligi mentioned.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Jan. 20, 2025.
Jack Farrell and Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press
