Thought this was an excellent, in depth read on the current changes to Coal regulations in Alberta with the pros, cons, history, and comparison to BC's policies laid out. Some commentary on the closure of parks, increased lobbying from the coal industry, and of course, the possibility of well paying jobs in poorer areas of the province. Thought this was wide-ranging and important enough that it deserved a new thread rather than piling on in the AB politics thread.
Quote:
Stand atop Mount Erickson in southeastern British Columbia and it feels like you can see forever.
Look north, and peer along the jagged ridgelines of the High Rock Range, which stretch to the horizon. To the south, snow-capped peaks in the Crowsnest Range cut into the blue sky, rising above dense green forests. Across the valley to the west, row upon row of sawtoothed summits fade into the distance, melding into mesmerizing array.
And then you look down.
Down the austere slope, in the valley below, is a massive, open-pit coal mine.
The word “mine” evokes images of soot-smeared workers in underground tunnels, but this is actually a mountain in the process of being deconstructed. A geologic wound. Its slopes are blackened and tiered, abuzz with enormous yellow trucks that look tiny from this distance, kicking up grey plumes of dust as they haul the pulverized mountain away, load by load.
This is one of five coal mines owned by Teck Resources in B.C’s Elk Valley. Together, these operations produce the bulk of the mining revenue in a province that has made coal its top export.
Now, turn on your heel and look to the east: past the Continental Divide, over the invisible border into Alberta’s Crowsnest Pass. There’s the distinctive, rounded peak of Crowsnest Mountain and, just beyond that, the Livingstone Range. The same, high-quality coal is locked away in these mountains, yet there are no operational mines here. The last one closed in 1983.
The difference dates back to 1976. That’s when the Progressive Conservative government of premier Peter Lougheed adopted its Coal Development Policy, which restricted open-pit mines across most of the province's Rocky Mountains and Foothills. For the last 44 years, this policy protected some of Alberta's most pristine and iconic landscapes. It also chased mining companies into neighbouring B.C., limiting potential livelihoods for thousands of Albertans.
Now, this long-standing tradeoff between environmental protection and economic opportunity is poised to change.
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Grab a cup of coffee, this is a long read.
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/long...ging-coal-back