Frank said in the Oldman Watershed, there are “basically” two coal mines that have submitted applications to regulators to mine in the area: The Grassy Mountain and Tent Mountain mines.
“Then there are two other companies that are still in the exploration phase. They haven’t submitted any of their applications yet that would allow them to actually mine, and those are the Atrum and Caven Ridge companies,” she said.
“They’re probably at least two, maybe three years away from applying, so they’re going to be exploring for the next couple of years and they do have approval for that.”
December 29, 2020
There’s trouble brewing in the mountains and the foothills, as a recent policy change by Alberta’s government puts significant grazing land and water sources at risk, according to ranchers. In June, the Alberta government quietly rescinded a coal mining policy, shocking ranchers in southwestern Alberta.
Laura Laing and John Smith, who own Plateau Cattle Co., are directly affected by the elimination of the coal policy. Their grazing allotment is in the Mt. Livingstone range on the Oldman Watershed, just west of Nanton, Alta. It’s Category 2 land that has never been subject to open-pit mountain top removal coal mining but will be now. The policy was rescinded without any public or stakeholder consultation, the ranchers add.