Member of Alberta coal mining committee feeling 'disgust and dismay' over new plan
Provincial panel formed in 2021 to consult public on future of coal mining
A member of a five-person panel created by former energy minister Sonya Savage in 2021 to consult the public on the future of coal mining in Alberta says he's in a "state of shock" about recent moves by the province.
The Alberta government recently lifted a ban on coal mining in the Eastern Slopes, something the Alberta Energy Regulator said will allow suspended projects to resume and an energy law expert said will open up large tracts of land to coal exploration.
Bill Trafford was a member of Alberta's coal policy committee. He is the president of the Livingstone Landowners Group, and he says he's not the only committee member shocked by the recent news.
"[The committee] just can't believe that the government would ask us to do all this. And we did it … in a way that was probably much more thorough and much more positive than anything they'd ever done, in terms of getting public engagement," Trafford said in an interview.
"Then they say, 'Well, we're going to throw that in the dumpster and go ahead with what the coal industry thinks they want to do.'"
WATCH | Alberta government lifts ban on coal exploration in Eastern Slopes:
After public backlash tied to policy changes in 2020, the provincial government formed an independent coal policy committee to consult on coal mining in the Rocky Mountains. That panel received more than 1,000 emailed documents and 170 written submissions. It held more than 70 meetings with various parties.
Last December, when the province was unveiling what it called its "modernized" coal policy, it noted it would engage the coal industry to develop the regulations but wouldn't consult the general public again, citing the engagement done by the coal policy committee.
"More than 30,000 Albertans from all walks of life and areas across the province, Indigenous and Métis people, municipalities and industry stakeholders, they all voiced their concern on coal and coal policy through the work of the coal policy committee," said Alberta Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean said in December.
When asked to sum up his feelings about the new plan, Trafford didn't mince words.
"Pretty much disgust and dismay. And that's about as concise as I can make it," Trafford said.
Other panel members stand by report
The five-member panel was led by Ron Wallace, a permanent member of what was known as the National Energy Board, and included Fred Bradley, a former Alberta minister of the environment under premier Peter Lougheed; Eric North Peigan, a member of the Piikani Nation; Natalie Charlton, the executive director of the Hinton and District Chamber of Commerce; and Trafford.
It released a 45-page report of its findings in 2022.
In response to a request for comment, Wallace said that as former chair of the committee, he would not be making any comments to the media at this time.
"I believe that the recommendations made by the former committee, which completed its work in 2021, speak for themselves," Wallace said.
Bradley also declined to comment, writing in an email that he fully supported the committee's recommendations to the government of Alberta.
"It has been my practice not to comment further on its contents once the committee finished its work and forwarded its recommendations to the government for its consideration," Bradley said.
Trafford noted the committee made eight recommendations. The main recommendations were to ensure proper studies were done to understand how activities on the Eastern Slopes might harm the environment, like water and air, and to make sure the results of that study are legally binding, so they have to be followed in future land planning.
"Everybody and anybody that wanted to talk about this came to us. And our recommendations weren't Bill Trafford or Ron Wallace recommendations. These were culled from all the input we received from those groups, to say, this is what needs to be done," Trafford said.
"To me, it's not … I think disheartening is the wrong word. But it's disillusioning to find that a government that … accepted all of that and understood and actually encouraged us to talk to all those people, to come up with recommendations on a new policy, would be thrown over based on the lobbying of a coal industry."
LISTEN | Professor emeritus Nigel Bankes walks through the coal policy changes:
In an email to CBC News, Jean's office wrote it was "doing the heavy lifting others have avoided."
"We are taking direct action on seven of the eight recommendations from the coal policy committee when other governments have avoided this issue time after time since the early 1990s," the statement reads.
Last week, Jean sent a letter to the Alberta Energy Regulator, cancelling three previous ministerial orders from 2021 and 2022. In effect, the AER said companies with approvals paused by earlier orders can move forward again, and new applications for coal projects can now be submitted.
The provincial government has said the move amounted to "housekeeping" following moves it already announced in December to modernize its coal policy.
Coal companies react
The province's move could undermine ongoing legal cases that coal companies launched against the province for billions in damages following a series of policy changes. Asked Tuesday about how those court cases factored into the decision, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the province was considering taxpayers when it took action.
"If you look at the lawsuits that have been filed, it's $16 billion with the potential liability," she said. "We have to take that seriously, and we have to make sure that the taxpayers are protected. At the same time, metallurgical coal is incredibly valuable."
Glenn Vassallo, the head of corporate and project finance for Valory Resources, one of the companies suing the province, applauded the removal of the moratorium.
"These decisions by the Alberta government provide an incredible opportunity for Alberta to build a world-class underground steelmaking coal industry, using modern technology which is safe, efficient and environmentally friendly," Vassallo said in an email to The Canadian Press.
Vassallo said he couldn't comment on what the government's decision means for the lawsuit.
Peter Doyle is the CEO of Montem Resources, which is also suing the province.
He wrote in an email that lifting the moratorium won't stop Montem from seeking costs in court.
"If the government really cares about protecting taxpayers and generating investment in a steelmaking coal industry in Alberta, they should come to the table to settle the lawsuits and pay fair compensation for the property they've expropriated," Doyle said in an email to CBC News.
CBC News has reached out to the Coal Association of Canada for comment.
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With files from The Canadian Press