Albertans want to talk about a lot more than coal when it comes to development in their beloved Rocky Mountains, says the head of the committee charged with collecting public opinion on the issue.
The company behind a proposed open-pit coal mine in Alberta's Rocky Mountains has filed a request to appeal a decision by a review panel that rejected the project as being not in the public interest.
Environmental groups and First Nations say they are pleased the federal government is adding another proposed coal mine in Alberta's Rocky Mountains to the list of projects it will review.
Two coal companies planning to develop mines in Alberta's Rocky Mountains say they hope to move forward despite new regulatory and political roadblocks.
In its 680-page report released Thursday, the joint federal-provincial panel questioned the ability of Benga Mining, owned by Riversdale Resources, to control the release of selenium from its proposed Grassy Mountain mine.
Simmering internal discontent within Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s United Conservative caucus has now boiled over into an open challenge to his leadership.
Jeff Kneteman said Alberta Environment has known about the problem in bighorn sheep for years. But it has yet to commission any studies about the effects on the three herds and how far the contamination has spread through the local ecosystem.
The Alberta government has tasked a five-member committee with finding out how people feel about open-pit coal mining in the Rocky Mountains and their eastern slopes.
Road-building approvals for coal exploration already exceed legal limits in some parts of Alberta's Rocky Mountains and foothills, suggest documents from the province's energy regulator.
