An Alberta ranching community is fighting a planned hearing on proposed coal exploration in the Rocky Mountains, saying the province’s arm’s-length energy regulator shouldn’t have heeded a letter from its energy minister suggesting an application from Northback Holdings be accepted.
Northback has applied for three licences on Grassy Mountain near the community of Crowsnest Pass. Northback wants approval for exploratory drilling and water diversion as part of the Australian company’s plans for an open-pit steelmaking coal mine. In a Nov. 16, 2023, letter to the regulator, Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean sided with Northback. The regulator subsequently accepted Northback’s applications and promised public hearings on them.
“Relying upon, adopting or deferring to irrelevant or improper evidence in determining that the minister’s letter ‘carries significant weight,’ or in giving any weight to the minister’s letter at all ... was ,” Ranchland’s letter reads.