Metallurgical coal demand will remain “robust” for decades to come, justifying the redevelopment of a controversial mining site in the Crowsnest Pass.
That was the submission of an Australian company looking to re-open the abandoned Grassy Mountain mine site near Coleman in the southwest corner of Alberta.
Company officials took to the stand after public hearings into the project resumed in Calgary on Tuesday morning after adjourning for the holidays last December.
Outside, about 200 — mostly elderly — protestors gathered outside to plea for protecting watersheds.
The Raging Grannies sang songs while members of First Nations groups beat the drum and a self-avowed NDP contingent led a march through Eau Claire.
“No more coal!” they chanted.
“We need to save our water,“ said one member who only identified as Sue, along with her placard-bearing poodle, Ginger. They travelled from Lethbridge, Pincher Creek and other municipalities in the Crowsnest to make their presence known.
Meanwhile inside the AER offices, the quasi-judicial proceedings were expected to run until at least Wednesday to consider arguments for and against the merits of redeveloping the nearly century-old mine site.
Amid cross-examination from lawyers for the MD of Ranchlands, which opposes the development, regulators heard the mine will be situated on lands previously approved for mining even under a 1976 ban on new coal development on the Eastern Slopes.
The original mine was opened in the 1950s and abandoned in 1983. Northback, the Canadian subsidiary of Australian mining giant Hancock Prospecting, is proposing to reopen the site and reclaim it to modern standards.
Since then, it has been subject to a variety of recreational and commercial land uses ranging from ranching to hunting and even hiking.
“Contrary to popular belief this is not pristine land,” Northback said in prepared remarks. “Seaborne metallurgical coal demand is expected to remain viable for decades to come.”
The hearing on Tuesday is only to approve an exploration drilling plan consisting of several dozen test holes to delineate groundwater ahead of commercial development, which would require a separate application.
The program is needed to update prior drilling since the 1970s and gain additional data, the company argued.
The notion of redeveloping the site has divided the community of Crowsnest Pass, which in November voted overwhelmingly to approve the application in a non-binding referendum even though it is technically located in the adjacent MD of Ranchlands.
The company cited the promise of economic benefits and jobs while opponents argue it will threaten the Oldman River watershed. The Alberta government is hoping to have the longstanding environmental blight cleaned up to an acceptable standard even as opponents fret over adding to the existing environmental damage.
Gavin Fitch, an attorney representing the Livingstone Landowners Group, argued that Northback failed to consult with the group before filing its submissions.
In response, the company claimed the limited exploration drilling program was not subject to the same level of scrutiny as a full-blown oil and gas development and that it had been in contact with affected groups in any event.