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âCommitting to consult on a modernized policyâ â that was the second shoe Energy Minister Sonya Savage dropped when she announced she was reinstating Albertaâs 1976 Coal Policy. The publicâs demand to be consulted about coal mining was the accelerant for the firestorm of criticism the Kenney government endured after it quietly rescinded that policy last year.
What should the ministerâs consultation commitment offer Albertans? Nothing less than the opportunity to determine the future of Albertaâs iconic Eastern Slopes. Public consultation should ask this question: âShould new coal surface mines be allowed anywhere in Albertaâs Rockies and foothills?â
Opinion: What Alberta s public consultation on coal should look like calgaryherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from calgaryherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Share More than 25 megatonnes of metallurgical coal was produced at four Teck Resources mines in B.C. s Elk Valley in 2019. Alberta, meanwhile, produced a total of 2.7 megatonnes of metallurgical bituminous coal in 2019. Photo: Callum Gunn
In-Depth
A tale of two provinces: how coal mining plowed ahead in the B.C. Rockies while Alberta hit the brakes
Mountaintop-removal coal mining is much more prevalent in B.C. than Alberta. To understand why, you need to go back decades to unfurl a story that defies stereotypes of environmental values 12 min read
At first glance, the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta are nearly indistinguishable. Spectacular ridgelines. Snow-covered peaks. Tens of thousands of years of glacial sculpting. The two provinces’ shared border straddles the same iconic mountain range and the same rich coal deposit that lies beneath.