Edmonton, AB — 19th August, 2025 — Communities are not merely seeking coal industry modernization as proposed by the government’s Coal Industry Modernization Initiative rather, amid ongoing concerns with the significant environmental impacts of coal development, there is a need for clear coal policy in the Eastern Slopes. Recommendations by the Environmental Law Centre (ELC) are outlined in a letter to the Hon. Brian Jean, Minister of Energy and Minerals, urging the government to commit to regional planning with subregional planning to specifically direct where and when coal tenure, exploration and development decisions are made. It is unlikely that coal resources can be responsibly developed in areas where there are species at risk whose recovery would be further jeopardized by coal development activities whether by surface disturbances or impacts on water.
The Eastern Slopes play a critical role in the health of Alberta’s watersheds providing more than 90% of water that Albertans drink or use for irrigation. As well, the Eastern Slopes provide important habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife including many species at risk. Coal development is known to cause significant impacts on water quality including through the release of selenium which bioaccumulates and biomagnifies through food webs. The impacts of surface mining are obvious: removing vegetation, transforming watersheds, and eliminating wildlife habitat. And subsurface coal mining operations are also shown to cause surface impacts such as subsidence, ground fissures, rock falls and landslides.
Even in areas where there is an established high level of concern with the impacts on water and the environment, communities face applications and reapplications for coal operations. “Binding regional planning should be used to create and implement policy protections, addressing cumulative impacts within the Eastern Slopes and to delineate areas where coal development is not acceptable”, said Brenda Heelan Powell, Staff Counsel with the ELC. “Without clear policy protections in place, cumulative impacts on the Eastern Slopes cannot be effectively managed using a project-by-project approval approach. More localized subregional plans may also be used to specifically address impacts around coal exploration and development in the region. To date, neither regional nor subregional planning has happened”, added Heelan Powell.
The ELC urges the government to initiate broad public consultation on regional planning in the Eastern Slopes to direct coal exploration and development. This aligns with the 2021 recommendations of the Coal Policy Committee. Regional plans should include clear, regulatory requirements that delineate which areas are and are not open to coal exploration and development, as well as appropriate restrictions where coal activities are permitted. There are some areas in the province which simply should not be open to coal tenure, exploration and development due to the presence of species at risk whose recovery would be further jeopardized by coal development activities, whether by surface disturbances or impacts on water.
Media Contact
Uche Ibeh
Communications Manager
elc@elc.ab.ca
Download the ELC letter here.
Background reading: see ELC’s blogs explaining the history of coal policy in Alberta, providing our comments on the Coal Industry Modernization Initiative (CIMI), and summarizing litigation arising from the significant policy shifts on coal policy that were made without adequate public consultation.
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTRE
The Environmental Law Centre (ELC) is a public interest charity focused on environmental law. Since 1982, it has provided objective legal research and analysis on natural resources, energy, and environmental policies. The ELC seeks strong laws to ensure all Albertans have access to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. Through education and legal reform, the ELC works to strengthen environmental protections and promote sustainable resource management.
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