Latest news with #coalexploration
CBC
17-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Landowners, mayors divided over coal project exploration approval in Rockies
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)'s recent approval of coal exploration on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains is drawing quick reaction from landowners, mayors and community groups across southern Alberta. The debate over revival of coal development in the region has long been contentious, with supporters arguing it could bring economic development to communities that need it. On the other hand, those opposed to the project raise concerns around long-term risks to land and water. On Thursday, the AER approved Northback Holdings' applications with conditions to conduct a coal exploration program at the Grassy Mountain site, which is located in the Municipal District of Ranchland. In a written decision, the regulator said the applications met all regulatory requirements and that the exploration program was in the public interest. It added that the applications weren't for a coal mine, but for an exploration program at the existing unreclaimed Grassy Mountain mine site. "The exploration program is designed to improve Northback's understanding of the extent of the Grassy Mountain coal deposit, obtain raw coal samples, and structurally model the coal seam complexities," the decision reads. It adds that if Northback decides to proceed with mine applications at Grassy Mountain in the future, it must follow a "rigorous regulatory process that all resource development applications must follow," and that accepting the exploration applications "does not constitute approval of a coal mine." Crowsnest Pass Mayor Blair Painter welcomed the regulator's decision and referenced Northback's promise that the mine would employ roughly 300 people at the job site should it move ahead. He added he recognized the environmental debate also at play. "We all want clean water. I want clean water. All the residents of Crowsnest Pass want clean water," he said in an interview. "This gives an opportunity for Northback. If they are successful with moving ahead with the mining application, then we can feel confident that they will do this within the regulations of the province and the federal government when it comes to clean water." Concerns over selenium Last year, residents of Crowsnest Pass voted decisively in favour of the project in a non-binding vote, with more than 70 per cent of voters voicing their support. However, the mine is not actually located in the Crowsnest Pass, but in the nearby Municipal District of Ranchland, which has long stood in opposition of the project. "The decision, of course, is very disappointing, although not unexpected," said Ron Davis, reeve of the M.D. of Ranchland, in an interview. Grassy Mountain was previously rejected in 2021 by the federal government, which said the project would likely cause significant adverse environmental effects, including "on surface water quality, including from selenium effluent discharge." In its opposition, Ranchland had noted environmental concerns tied to selenium, but the regulator stated in its recent decision that those concerns didn't apply to the exploration work. The AER said that based on its conclusions, "impacts from the exploration program on the quality and quantity of water and on downstream users of the Oldman River are unlikely." The 'elephant in the room' Still, some landowners and environmental advocates say the development sets the stage for coal mining in a critical watershed that provides drinking water to more than 200,000 people. "The elephant in the room is that this is not about an exploration permit … It's about the next step or ticking the box to do the next steps toward going for a mine," said Norma Dougal, who is on the board of directors for the Livingstone Landowners Group. "What we are totally expecting is to have to go back and waste our time at a full-blown hearing. When it's already been shown that a mine at Grassy is not in Alberta's best interest, economically or environmentally." Davis, the reeve of Ranchland, said he expected that Northback wouldn't be conducting exploration if they didn't have interest in opening a coal mine. He added the M.D. continues to hold environmental concerns. "Southern Alberta is a very water-poor area. And the loss of any water sources or watersheds are detrimental to southern Alberta particularly," he said. "And of course, that goes along with the other problems of contamination of the water resources that we have, which are meager at best." Others in the region were waiting to see how the next steps would play out. Fort Macleod Mayor Brent Feyter said his council hasn't yet formally discussed the approval. However, he believes drilling is a necessary part of understanding what a potential mine could look like. "Overall, drilling is necessary. That's our personal view, just if there is going to be something, they need to know what's there and how best to manage it," Feyter said. "We're not trying to skirt around the concerns. On the other hand, we also recognize that coal is a requirement for a lot of products used nationally, internationally." Northback's permits will be valid for five years, the regulator's decision states. The last three years are to be used for reclamation work.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Alberta regulator approves Northback coal exploration project in Rocky Mountains
Grassy Mountain, peak to left, and the Grassy Mountain Coal Project are seen north of Blairmore, Alta., Thursday, June 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh The Alberta Energy Regulator approved on Thursday a controversial coal exploration project on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Northback Holdings Corp.'s project at Grassy Mountain was rejected in 2021, when a panel ruled likely environmental effects on fish and water quality outweighed potential economic benefits. The project, located on an inactive legacy coal mine site in the Municipal District of Ranchland, was revived two years later. Last year, it was exempted from the Alberta government's decision to ban open-pit coal mines, because Northback's application was considered an 'advanced' proposal. A written decision from the regulator says it determined approving the project is in the public interest and the project won't have negative effects on water quality or wildlife, which many at public hearings argued will happen. The decision grants Northback permits to drill and to divert water to the site, which was also a concern raised by farmers in drought-ridden parts of southern Alberta. The approved deep drilling permit will allow Northback to drill more than 150 metres underground on both public and private land in its search for coal deposits. The company will only be able to draw water from a nearby end pit lake that it owns and that's not directly connected to other water bodies or rivers, the decision says. The decision notes that it's possible there will be some runoff from the lake, but it had been determined the project won't have any effect on water quality or quantity downstream. It also says the potential for the project to generate toxic selenium is unlikely, 'because there will be no excavation, no coal-mining operations and no new waste rock piles created.' 'If the existing waste rock piles are not elevating downstream selenium levels, it is reasonable to conclude that these exploration activities are unlikely to elevate selenium levels,' the decision says. The regulator also determined that potential harm to wildlife is unlikely, as no new roads are to be constructed as part of the project. The regulator was satisfied overall with the project's public interest, saying as it would provide employment opportunities to nearby residents, including First Nations communities, while allowing the company to continue investing in the area. 'We assessed the social and economic effects of the exploration program and found it to be positive,' the decision says, adding that Northback plans to spend at least $2.5 million locally as part of the exploration. 'While the magnitude of the economic impacts may appear modest, they are proportional to the program scale and duration.' The decision says the company has spent over $1 billion since 2015 trying to advance the project but that it wasn't a consideration for the regulator. The project will also give Albertans additional information on the scale of the coal deposit at Grassy Mountain, says the decision. 'The exploration program will contribute to the ongoing evaluation of this coal resource and, based on our assessment, will do so in an orderly, efficient and environmentally responsible manner,' it says. Rita Blacklaws, a spokesperson for Northback, said in an email the company thanked the regulator for the decision. 'With this outcome, Northback continues our commitment to bring benefits to Albertans while adhering to the highest environmental standards,' Blacklaws said. Opposition NDP environment critic Sarah Elmeligi said the decision is wrong. 'Albertans have been clear they do not want coal mining on the eastern slopes,' she said. 'What a horrible day for Alberta.' Energy Minister Brian Jean said the government respects the regulator's 'carefully considered decision on this application,' noting it isn't an application to mine. He said Northback will be responsible for reclamation related to the exploration work. 'We reiterate our commitment to protect Alberta's waters and ensure that any development in the eastern slopes is done to the highest environmental standards,' Jean said in a statement Thursday. The decision followed days of public hearings in December and January, as well as a non-binding vote last year in the nearby community of Crowsnest Pass. About 72 per cent of voters said they were in favour of the project. The regulator notes that concerns were raised in the hearings that granting exploratory permits would lead to a full-blown coal mine. It says that possibility couldn't be factored into the decision-making process. 'Exploration is only one step taken by a resource company in the long and complex series of activities that may or may not lead to the development of a mine,' the decision says. 'Accepting the need for this exploration program does not constitute approval of a coal mine. 'If, in the future, Northback decides to proceed with mine applications at Grassy Mountain, it must follow a rigorous regulatory process that all resource development applications must follow.' Conditions attached to the exploratory permits require the company to dispose of drilling waste to the regulator's satisfaction, follow erosion control and weed management plans, and adhere to recommended environmental mitigation measures. The company's permits are valid for five years, with the last three years to be set aside for reclamation work. By Jack Farrell With files from Lisa Johnson in Edmonton and Bill Graveland in Calgary This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.
Globe and Mail
16-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Alberta regulator approves coal applications at Grassy Mountain
The Alberta Energy Regulator has approved three applications for coal exploration, drilling and water diversion at a site called Grassy Mountain in the south of the province. Thursday's decision is the latest development in a long-running battle over reviving the defunct metallurgical coal mining industry in the Crowsnest Pass. The issue has pitted neighbours and communities against each other, with those who support coal development in the region standing against those who are firmly opposed. The lead proponent is Northback Holdings Corp., which owns a huge swath of land that was, until the 1960s, teeming with coal mines above and under the ground. It is one of the many companies owned by Hancock Prospecting Pty. Ltd, which is run by Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart – the country's richest person. None of the approved applications are for a mine proper, but for the kind of exploratory activity that comes before developing a detailed plan to get to the veins of metal-making coal that run deep and plentiful around the Crowsnest Pass. In an e-mail Thursday evening, Northback thanked the Alberta Energy Regulator for the decision. 'With this outcome, Northback continues our commitment to bring benefits to Albertans while adhering to the highest environmental standards,' the company said. Northback used to be called Benga Mining Ltd. Under that name, in 2017, the federal and provincial governments accepted its application for an environmental impact assessment of a new surface metallurgical coal mine encompassing about 2,800 hectares of land. It would have produced 4.5 million tonnes of coal annually over a mine life of about 25 years. A joint federal-provincial panel rejected Benga's plan in 2021, citing significant environmental concerns – which Northback hopes it can address using information gleaned from a drilling program. The panel's decision was released at a time of intense public backlash over coal mining in Alberta, which forced the government to halt exploration for the fossil fuel on a swath of sensitive land and cancel a series of leases earmarked for potential new mines. The regulator took the unusual step of sending Northback's latest applications to a full hearing. Those speaking against the proposals at the hearing included environmentalists concerned about local grizzly and trout populations, ranchers worried about how water use at a future mine and during early-stage drilling would affect an already-parched watershed, and residents of Crowsnest Pass and Piikani First Nation troubled by the potential of air and water contamination from coal dust and selenium. On the other side were business owners who had already contracted with Northback on early activities, security and gravel companies based on the nearby Piikani First Nation, and Crowsnest Pass residents who said the mine would bring much-needed jobs and economic development to a region with a shrinking tax base. On Nov. 25, more than half of the residents of the Crowsnest Pass municipality turned out to vote in a non-binding referendum on whether they supported a project to mine steelmaking coal on Grassy Mountain. Close to 72 per cent of them voted 'yes.' The result held no legal weight, but Councillor Dean Ward, who proposed the vote, said at the time it would give the council social licence to lobby the provincial and federal governments for the mine. Critics of the project – including the municipal district of Ranchland, where the mine would be located – say the company has no legal right to even pursue the plan. Alberta banned new coal exploration in 2022 amid a public backlash against mines. The province has since reversed that directive, but not before five coal companies launched a case suing the province for almost $14-billion over the government's flip-flop on mining policies.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Alberta regulator approves Northback coal exploration project in Rockies
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) says it has approved Northback Holdings Corporation's coal exploration project at the Grassy Mountain site on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The Grassy Mountain project was rejected in 2021, when a panel ruled the mine's likely environmental effects on the fish and water quality outweighed potential economic benefits. The project was revived two years later and last year it was exempted from Alberta's decision to ban open-pit coal mines because it was considered an advanced proposal. The latest ruling gives Northback a permit to divert water to the mine site, which was among the concerns raised by farmers in drought-ridden parts of southern Alberta. The regulator says the company will only be able to draw water from a nearby end pit lake owned by Northback that's not directly connected to other water bodies or rivers. An end pit lake is a water body that forms in the excavated pit of an open-pit mine. The AER says the project won't have any affect on water quality or quantity downstream.
