A major expansion of a large coal mine near Hinton, Alta., has been approved by the federal government, without federal review.
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC), on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced the decision late Friday.
The expansion of the Coalspur Mines Vista project, already the largest coal mine in Canada, would make it the largest coal mine in North America.
Fraser Thomson, climate director at environmental law organization Ecojustice, said environmental groups were “deeply disappointed” by the decision.
“Our customers have asked the federal government to honor its commitments and to ensure that safeguards are put in place against the risk of a coal boom,” Thomson told the CBC on Tuesday.
“Instead, Canada has doubled down on oil production and exports of some of the world’s dirtiest oil.
“By refusing to designate the Vista coal mine for review, the federal government has derailed this important coal development project.”
The expansion did not reach the level of analysis
Coalspur Mines is expanding its project underground and expanding the Vista pits above the coal mine in the west, with an area of 630 hectares.
The expansion will utilize existing mine facilities such as conveyor belts, green and clean coal storage facilities, coal preparation facilities, roads, waste storage facilities and railways, the IAAC said. analysis report.
The mine, which will have a fresh water pipe, is expected to operate for 11 years.
In its decision, the IAAC said the rules require a federal environmental review for the expansion of an existing mine where the expansion will result in an increase in the mining area of 50 percent or more – and in the case of the total coal production. it would be 5,000 tons per day or more after expansion.
Coalspur has announced to the federal government the amount of coal production after the increase would be 21,960 tons per day, the increase would be 722 tons.
While the daily production capacity would exceed 5,000 tonnes per day, the increase would not increase the mining area by 50 percent or more, the IAAC said in its decision.
The project will increase the mining area by 44 percent, it said.
A previous federal review had said approval was required
The AAC considered comments from 20 indigenous groups, environmental groups and members of the public.
In 2020, the then environment minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, ordered a regional joint investigation into expansion and underground mining. That review collapsed last year when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Ottawa’s Impact Assessment Act was unconstitutional.
But at the time the Department of Fisheries and Oceans had reviewed the plans for all the projects and decided they needed approval under two different laws, including the Fisheries Act.
The wetlands are home to the endangered Athabasca rainbow trout and bull trout, Alberta’s state fish.
A provincial review will take place, but Ecojustice’s Thomson said he thinks it won’t be as effective as the federal review.