Minister of Energy and Minerals Brian Jean and Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz announce work to develop new coal regulations in Alberta. (Photo: Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

Alberta developing new policies for coal mines in Foothills

Dec 20, 2024 | 9:58 AM

The Government of Alberta says it wants to allow for the development of coal mines, as long as it is done in a responsible way.

Minister of Energy and Minerals Brian Jean has announced the Alberta Coal Industry Modernization Initiative (CIMI).

It will provide guidelines for coal mining practices, with the goal of ensuring that Alberta’s waters are protected from mining contaminants such as selenium.

Jean says he looks to take the province’s coal mining regulations from the 19th Century to the 21st.

“Alberta deserves a modern coal policy that balances responsible resource development with strong environmental protections. Our job now is to develop a policy that respects the natural spaces in the foothills and protects water while allowing for responsible coal development that can attract investment and create jobs,” says Jean.

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According to the government, CIMI is based on the 1976 Coal Development Policy and picks up on the work of the 2021 Coal Policy Committee, aiming to strike a balance between the economic benefits of mining and environmental concerns.

The mountains in the Foothills, or the southwestern region of Alberta, are home to steelmaking coal, rather than coal that is used for power generation.

The province says the world needs Alberta’s steelmaking coal to fuel economic growth and the greater adoption of alternative energy sources and technologies.

The Ministry of Energy and Minerals will begin engagement in early 2025 with industry partners, municipalities, and residents.

“To ensure Albertans are fairly compensated for the development of this important natural resource, Alberta’s government will be raising the coal royalty rates significantly on new coal mines,” reads a portion of a provincial news release.

More details on CIMI, as provided by the Government of Alberta, include:

• The CIMI will protect water as our top priority. If coal mining is allowed, it will only be allowed to the highest standards:
• Prohibit mountaintop removal mining as a coal mining technique.
• No new open-pit coal mining in the Eastern Slopes (All four categories of the 1976 Coal Development Policy, subject to any further regulations flowing from land use planning work which is underway).
• Any new coal mining proposals, regardless of location, must use techniques which use best water practices and prevent adding selenium into waterways. New proposals will either need to be underground mines or use mining technologies (such as highwall automated underground mining) that move minimal amounts of overburden, to prevent selenium leaching and siltation.
• The protections set out in law and in the 1976 Coal Development Policy for national parks, provincial parks, wildland parks, wilderness areas, ecological reserves, and provincial recreation areas will continue.

Coal development has been a major topic of discussion in Crowsnest Pass in recent years. A non-binding referendum in November found that 72 per cent of residents support the development of the Grassy Mountain mine.

READ MORE: ‘A decisive decision’: Crowsnest Pass residents vote overwhelmingly for new coal mine

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