CPAWS Southern and Northern Alberta chapters are concerned by the Government of Alberta’s recent announcement launching the Alberta Coal Industry Modernization Initiative (CIMI), which — on the surface — purports to prioritize responsible coal mining practices with the goal of ensuring that Alberta’s waters are protected from mining contaminants such as selenium, but provides little clarity on when coal mines will or will not be allowed and does not prevent controversial coal projects such as Grassy Mountain or Mine 14 from moving forward.  

While the announcement today emphasized no ‘new’ open pit or mountain top removal coal mines in Alberta’s foothills, it provides little relief, since it does not adequately define ‘open pit,’ continues to leave the door open ‘subject to any further regulations flowing from land use planning’ and does not consider the risks introduced from all types of coal mining. 

The government was highly criticized in May 2020 for quietly rescinding the 1976 Coal Policy on the Friday of a long weekend, without any prior consultation with Albertans, leading to two years of intense public protest against new coal development in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains — one of the biggest environmental movements seen in the province’s recent history. Despite this criticism, major coal policy change has been done again, this time right before the holidays. 

In 2022, after nearly two years of public outcry opposing new coal development in the Rocky Mountains, the Minister of Energy issued a Ministerial Order that ordered a moratorium on any new coal exploration or mine applications, with the exception of “advanced projects.” Advanced projects were considered those with an active mine application.   

The introduction of an Alberta Coal Industry Modernization Initiative (CIMI), which appears to focus on consultation with industry, renews the risks coal development poses to Alberta’s water sources and iconic mountain ranges.  

We sincerely hope that this announcement actually does prevent new open pit coal mining in Alberta’s foothills means the end of project proposals in the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River and Oldman River. The previous policy removal spurred intense interest in developing projects in the region including in the Ram River, Livingstone, Crowsnest and Oldman watersheds, threatening the province’s water sources, native trout populations, intact forests, and beloved recreation areas alike – something the people of the province have made clear they will not tolerate. 

However, in the past few months, provincial records indicate multiple lobby efforts by both coal mining companies like Northback and the Coal Association of Canada, to lift the restrictions on coal mining created in 2022.  

“Minister Jean has once again doubled down on the Grassy Mountain open-pit coal mine defining it as an exempt project, despite the inexistence of a project description or application after the Project was rejected by regulators in 2021,” says Katie Morrison, Executive Director for CPAWS Southern Alberta. “The company has applied for a new coal exploration permit, and according to Jean will be exempt from the new policy, bringing into question the sincerity of the commitment of “no new open-pit mining proposals.”   

Today’s announcement also emphasized the permitting of underground mining, causing further concern regarding the future of Mine 14. The project was granted an exception to the coal mining moratorium in 2022. It squeaked through as an “advanced” project as it’s been making its way through the approvals process since 2007. Mine 14 is a proposed underground mine near Grande Cache. The mine permit and license are both over 10 years old and based on an even older environmental assessment, and pose threats to native trout and surrounding wildlife.

The announcement relies heavily on “monitoring” and Alberta’s “world class environmental regulations” and drew examples from the ‘excellent job’ that the oilsands do of containing tailings and protecting water. This is profoundly concerning, given the Kearl Mine tailings leak that spilled into tributaries of the Firebag and Muskeg Rivers for months before they were reported or stopped. Monitoring is not mitigation or avoidance, and many existing coal mines in Alberta continue to exceed regulations for water contaminants, including selenium. Selenium is still not included in the Alberta Coal Mining Wastewater Guidelines. 

In 2022, more than 50 organizations, businesses and municipalities released A Coal Policy for Alberta: 2022 and Beyond, based on the Coal Policy Committee consultation reports, which supported a complete ban on new coal exploration or development across the province.  The CIMI should follow these widely endorsed recommendations rather than trying to find loopholes for industry.  

“Once again, we see the government making decisions that contradict public consultation for the benefit of private corporations. We see the introduction of trying to find a ‘balance’ between environmental protections and coal development, which Albertans have clearly signaled they are not in support of,” says Tara Russell, Program Director with CPAWS Northern Alberta. 

In 2021, Brian Jean, now Alberta’s Minister of Energy and Minerals, himself published an opinion editorial in the Calgary Herald stating “When dealing with complex issues, it is important to be transparent. For example, don’t put out notice of a policy change after-hours on the Friday of a long weekend. That looks shady.” 

We agree with Minister Jean’s 2021 opinion of coal policy in Alberta. Putting forward a policy change immediately prior to the holiday period continues this pattern of ‘shady’ announcements that do not incite trust. The announcement of the Alberta Coal Industry Modernization Initiative (CIMI) which — when most people are focused on time spent with loved ones — is in direct opposition to the results of the government’s own consultation, which indicated that 70% of Albertans oppose any new coal exploration and development in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains.  

“Albertans did not let the previous government get away with changes to the coal policy that threatened our invaluable Rocky Mountain headwaters, and we won’t let this one either.  I hope they are ready for Albertans to rise up again,” says Morrison. 

For more information, contact: 

Katie Morrison, Executive Director, CPAWS Southern Alberta 
kmorrison@cpaws.org 

Tara Russell, Program Director, CPAWS Northern Alberta 
trussell@cpaws.org