A big and noisy crowd gathered outdoors the places of work of the Alberta Energy Regulator in downtown Calgary on Tuesday because the second spherical of hearings right into a controversial proposal to probe for coal within the japanese slopes of the Rocky Mountains received underway.
The primary spherical came about in Pincher Creek in early December 2024.
Supporters say coal mining would supply an financial increase to communities within the Crowsnest Cross, however opponents say the advantages are far outweighed by the destructive impacts on the atmosphere and folks’s well being.
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The AER is being requested to approve plans by Northback Holdings to probe for coal round Grassy Mountain, about seven kilometres north of Blairmore within the Crowsnest Cross, though the undertaking has been beforehand rejected by each federal and provincial environmental review panels.
A big crowd gathers outdoors an AER listening to in Calgary right into a controversial proposal to mine for coal within the Rocky Mountains.
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Supporters say the project would supply much-needed employment and in November 2024, 72 per cent of voters in Crowsnest Pass cast a ballot in support of the project in a referendum.
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Firm spokesperson Rina Blacklaws says the mining would happen below a number of the strictest environmental laws on this planet.
“The mining practices of yesterday aren’t the identical because the mining practices of right this moment,” Blacklaws mentioned. “Trendy mining practices guarantee very strict regulatory pointers might be met, and people pointers are set out by the Alberta Power Regulator.”
Nonetheless, opponents, together with native ranchers, landowners, some First Nation members and environmentalists, are concerned about the impact of the project on the Previous Man River watershed and communities downstream — they usually declare the guarantees of jobs and different financial advantages are far outweighed by the potential influence on the atmosphere and folks’s well being.
One of many protesters was Chris Spearman, a former mayor of Lethbridge who is worried concerning the potential influence on the province’s agriculture business.
“There’s greater than $40 billion invested within the agri-food business within the Previous Man River watershed,” mentioned Spearman. “My query to the federal government of Alberta is — is it prepared to sacrifice the agri-food business alongside the Previous Man River for a single coal mine?”
After the general public hearings conclude, the Alberta Power Regulator can have 90 days to determine whether or not to approve or reject the undertaking.
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The listening to in Calgary is scheduled to take three days and after it concludes the AER can have 90 days to determine whether or not or to not give the undertaking the inexperienced mild.
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