The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) will hold a hearing Jan. 13 to decide whether or not Coalspur Mines Limited can move forward with its proposed coal mine.
The mine, dubbed the Vista Project by Coalspur, would be located on approximately 27 square kilometres of land in the Hinton area. According to Coalspur representative Stephanie Evans, the land is about 65 kilometres southeast of Jasper鈥檚 park gate.
Evans said the Alberta government has 鈥渄etermined the completeness鈥� of the company鈥檚 environmental impact assessment, and that the project鈥檚 proximity to Jasper will have 鈥渘o bearing on its development.鈥�
The project would see a coal mine and all the infrastructure it requires鈥� including a processing plant, settling pond, coal conveyor, load-out facility, access corridors and environmental management systems鈥攃onstructed on that land.
In order to build the mine, Coalspur has applied to the Alberta government for several licenses and approvals, including a mine permit amendment, a coal processing plant approval amendment and mine and dump licenses.
It has also applied for approvals and licenses under the Clean Water Act, leases and licenses under the Public Lands Act, and an Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act approval.
Regulators and stakeholders have been reviewing Coalspur鈥檚 environmental impact assessment, as well as other regulatory applications, since the company submitted them in April 2012.
As part of the complicated regulation process, the Alberta government identified several communities that could potentially be affected by the proposed development.
Evans said that over the past two years Coalspur has been negotiating with these groups, and has reached resolutions with all but one of them: the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation.
Duane Kooteney is the land manager for Alexis Nakota. He said he is worried about the impact a large coal mine could have on his Nation鈥檚 land鈥� particularly the water.
He said Alexis Nakota鈥檚 land is downstream from rivers close to the proposed project, and contamination could mean bad news for the local ecosystem.
He explained that his people trap animals, pick herbs and visit that land, and destruction of that ecosystem would impact their way of life.
His concerns take on increased significance in light of the containment pond breach at Sherritt International鈥檚 Obed Mountain coal mine, outside of Hinton, that dumped millions of litres of coal slurry into the water system last October.
In light of what Kooteney sees as pressing environmental concerns, he said he is disappointed that his Nation seems to be the only group fighting the development.
鈥淐anada has a fiduciary responsibility to us as a nation, and yet we are the ones putting up the argument and the fight. I thought it would be the crown doing that鈥擨 didn鈥檛 even think it would go to a hearing,鈥� he said.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting myself kind of frustrated talking about it.鈥�
From Coalspur鈥檚 perspective, Evans said she couldn鈥檛 comment on the specifics of Coalspur鈥檚 negotiations with the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation.
鈥淥ur negotiations with Alexis are confidential and without prejudice, and it would be inappropriate for us to speak about them,鈥� she said.
At the Jan. 13 hearing, the AER will hear from Coalspur and representatives from Alexis Nakota. Once the hearing is over, it is expected to provide a decision within 90 days.
If the project is approved, Evans said the government will then prepare the rest of the approvals Coalspur requires. Coalspur would then have permission to operate the mine for 20 years, with reviews and renewals every 10 years.
Trevor Nichols
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