The Alberta government is expanding restrictions on coal-related exploration and development activities along the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains in response to recommendations coming out of the multi-stakeholder Coal Policy Committee, Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage said Friday.
The move is being made under a ministerial order, which Savage says will remain in place until direction on coal activities has been embedded in new or updated land use plans.
The reinstated 1976 coal policy also remains in effect.
The ministerial order expands the halt of coal exploration in Category 2 lands to also include exploration and development in Category 3 and 4 lands as defined by the policy.
“The Coal Policy Committee’s reports and Indigenous engagement make it clear that modernizing Alberta’s management of coal resources is a complex undertaking and must be done with care,” Savage said in a release.
“By keeping the 1976 coal policy firmly in place and halting coal activity in the Eastern Slopes, we are acting on the committee’s recommendations and allowing for additional planning for this unique area.”
Activities already in progress for active mines and advanced projects can continue, and abandonment and reclamation activities can resume, she said.
The Coal Policy Committee gathered input from stakeholders between March and September 2021. The committee’s final report contains eight recommendations and 20 related action items for the management of the province’s coal resources.
Recommendations coming from the committee include strengthening Indigenous involvement in land use planning, reviewing coal tenure and royalty regimes, and ensuring any proposed projects are assessed using net benefit tests.
Alberta Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon says his department has launched a review of the Mine Financial Security Program to ensure it adequately covers the industry’s reclamation liabilities and protects taxpayers.
“The Alberta government is providing additional clarity around land use in the Eastern Slopes for coal development, building on the province’s strong regulatory framework for responsible resource development,” said Nixon.
The official Opposition says the government could rescind the ministerial order at any time, leaving open the possibility of future coal mining in the Rockies.
Kathleen Ganley is the NDP critic for energy.
“The UCP has already proven they can’t be trusted to protect our mountains,” Ganley said in a release. “They already opened up the Rockies for open pit coal mining with the stroke of a pen, and they could do it again under this plan.
“The UCP’s plan to keep the ministerial order in place means the minister has sole power over whether or not to keep it in place.”
Ganley says most Albertans do not want open-pit coal mining in the Rockies.
“If the UCP was serious about protecting our drinking water and downstream jobs, they would enshrine a ban in legislation,” she said.
