A year ago coal was king. At least half a dozen new or expanded thermal and metallurgical coal mines were being proposed in Alberta and British Columbia. Provincial and federal governments seemed to be encouraging these developments despite the fact that burning coal is the the single largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to polluting waterways with selenium and other toxics and damaging essential habitat for species like grizzly and bighorn sheep.
So congratulations are due to federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson for dethroning coal—at least for a time.
In June, Wilkinson announced that new thermal coal mines—including the proposed Coalspur Vista mine expansion in Alberta—would not be likely be approved due to their “unacceptable environmental effects within federal jurisdiction”.
This important and welcome policy shift is consistent with Canada’s commitments as co-chair of the multi-nation Powering Past Coal Coalition to phase our coal-fired power generation by 2030. The federal assessment of the Coalspur Vista mine expansion may still proceed but must consider the extent to which the project contributes to sustainability, and hinders Canada's ability to meet its environmental obligations and climate change commitments.
Later in June, Wilkinson made a second announcement that all new metallurgical coal mines will be required to undergo impact assessments under the federal Impact Assessment Act, the minimum Canada needs to commit to in order reverse biodiversity loss and to keep with the new International Energy Agency (IEA) report. The IEA report states that new coal projects (both thermal and metallurgical) must stop if the world is to limit the global temperature rise from climate change to 1.5 °C.
That same week, the Joint Panel Review report assessing the proposed Grassy Mountain coal mine in the Crow's Nest Pass, Alberta, rejected the mine in the Panel's capacity as Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), and recommended against it in its capacity as a federal panel. Wilkinson is unlikely to disagree with the AER in making his decisions about Grassy Mountain.
Canada's coal industry is no doubt stunned by these developments, which follow on an important Alberta decision to revert to a policy limiting coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The coal industry is likely going to fight these decisions, as they fight every decision that attempts to limit coal production. Massive public pressure has been needed to even get an impact assessment for just one proposed mine in Western Canada: Coalspur Vista.
Case Study: Coalspur Vista
Coalspur Mine Operations is proposing a 652-hectare expansion of its Vista thermal coal mine near the town of Hinton, Alberta, that would potentially triple the mine’s maximum capacity to extract thermal coal. When burned, this coal would produce up to 33 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
Coalspur Vista is located in aspen and black spruce forest near Jasper National Park in Alberta, and its proposed expansion could result in adverse effects on nine migratory bird species at risk and is likely to result in adverse effects on fish (including endangered Rainbow Trout and threatened Bull Trout) and fish habitat.
While Minister Wilkinson did order an impact assessment of the Coalspur Vista expansion in July 2020, it was only after sustained public pressure, including a petition from Ecojustice, calling for appropriate assessment of the project.
The Future of Coal in Canada
If they stand the tests of time, the federal decisions on Coalspur Vista and new metallurgical mines, and the rejection of Grassy Mountain mean that the future of coal mining is dim. The next step for Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Wilkinson is to fully follow the guidance of the IEA report and reject all new metallurgical and thermal coal mines, and instead establish protected areas and conserve species at risk.
How You Can Help
Write to Prime Minister Trudeau and Environment and Climate Change Minister Wilkinson congratulating Wilkinson for stating that Coalspur Vista would have unacceptable environmental impacts and would not likely be approved, and that federal impact assessments will be required for new metallurgical mines.
Demand hearings by an independent panel for the Coalspur Vista project assessments.
Request that the federal government clarify that no new coal mine will be approved that isn't carbon neutral, doesn't strictly control selenium pollution, and isn't financially committed to restoring played-out mines back to nature.
Support environmental and nature groups such as Alberta Wilderness Association, Wildsight, Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, and Nature Canada that are standing up to the coal industry.