Alberta to introduce ‘modern’ coal policy, including ban on new open-pit projects
The new policy will not affect those qualified as "advanced coal projects" such as the controversial Grassy Mountain mine.
The United Nations Secretary General has called for no new coal plants by 2020, and Canada has said it is phasing out traditional coal-fired power by 2030.
Canada, France, Italy and the United Kingdom lead the G20 with Paris-compatible plans for phasing out coal before or by 2030, according to a climate transparency report released last spring.
The strategic assessment will include environmental and health impacts of thermal coal mining and market analysis of projected demand for thermal coal
On Friday, Canada’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson, in partnership with Natural Resources Minister, Seamus O’Regan, announced that Canada will launch a strategic assessment to provide guidance on how future new thermal coal mine projects will be assessed under the Impact Assessment Act.
The strategic assessment will include environmental and health impacts of thermal coal mining; market analysis of projected demand for thermal coal, including economic impacts and impact on jobs in Canada; and the use of thermal coal mining, including its impact on Canada’s international commitments and initiatives.
The Coalspur Vista Coal Mine Phase II project in Hinton, Alberta, is undergoing an environmental assessment by the province, but the project will not be designated for federal review under the Impact Assessment Act because it will be covered under the provincial environmental assessment process, and the issues of federal jurisdiction will be covered through other regulatory processes.
If the project proceeds, it will be subject to all applicable federal regulations, Environment and Climate Change Canada said in a media statement.
Draft terms of reference for the strategic assessment of thermal coal mining will be available online in early in 2020.
