Alberta’s government is announcing new coal mining regulations, expected by the end of 2025, along with a round of consultations with industry players on how to implement them.
It says it will ban new mountaintop removal mining and new open-pit mining on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean says that going forward coal mining projects will be held to the highest environmental standards.
Jean also says royalty rates, to be revised after deliberations with industry, will be “substantially” increased.
However, the new rules won’t apply to advanced proposals, including a controversial proposed mine in the Crowsnest Pass.
The announcement comes after the United Conservative Party government’s elimination of long-standing land protections in 2020 spurred public backlash and a reversal a year later.
