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By rdnewsNOW staff

Alberta

Alberta NDP says UCP must stop political interference with AER

Jun 4, 2024 | 5:19 PM

The Alberta NDP is calling on the UCP government to stop what it says is political interference with the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) and pass legislation to protect the Rocky Mountains from coal mining.

“We are calling on Danielle Smith and Brian Jean today to listen to Albertans and commit to passing the Eastern Slopes Protection Act,” said Sarah Elmeligi, Alberta NDP Critic for Environment and Tourism. “One of the most unifying opinions among Albertans in the last few years has been the opposition to coal mining in the Eastern Slopes.”

The NDP says the UCP’s decision to rescind the 1976 Coal Policy was opposed by the majority of Albertans. The Opposition says polls concluded that 77 per cent of Albertans were concerned about the impact coal mining could have on rivers. Additionally, the NDP says half of Albertans indicated they opposed the measures the UCP took on coal mining without consultation.

Two years after the Northback Holdings Grassy Mountain coal mine was denied by both a federal and provincial review panel and the AER, the NDP says Northback Holdings applied again, to drill 46 new exploratory boreholes in Grassy Mountain. This time, claims the NDP, Danielle Smith had her Energy Minister pen a letter to the Alberta Energy Regulator siding with Northback Holdings and directing the AER to move the project forward to public hearing.

“The ongoing influence by the UCP in the AER is deeply troubling. The government should be focused on making the AER a credible regulator to address industry liabilities, not interfering in our regulatory processes,” said Nagwan Al-Guneid, Alberta NDP Critic for Energy and Climate.

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“Now, since penning a letter to the regulator in support of this strip-mining coal project, Danielle Smith has appointed her friend, former Wildrose Party president David Yager to do a review on the AER and on the future of energy in Alberta,”

The Opposition says Northback Holdings has recently requested their Grassy Mountain project timeline be accelerated and that the public hearing be completed by the end of June. However, the Municipal District of Ranchlands, where the project is located, says the NDP, has applied for permission to appeal the AER’s decision for the project to go to public hearing, thus requesting a stay of the AER’s decision pending the outcome of the appeal.

“While Albertans are seeking more information and being denied through court appeals, those same Albertans are being expected to support accelerating a process for public hearing and decision while one of their appeals is before the courts,” said Elmeligi. “The hypocrisy astounds.”

“Albertans have been clear that they do not want to see coal mining in the Eastern Slopes. But Danielle Smith and the UCP have refused to listen. The Eastern Slopes Protection Act would protect our mountains by law and accomplish what Albertans have been so clear they want,” adds Elmeligi.

The office of Minister of Energy and Minerals, Brian Jean, offered the following statement in response on Tuesday:

“The purpose of the minister’s letter was to provide clarity on which projects were classified as an “advanced coal project” under Ministerial Order 02/2022. The AER is an independent body that reviews applications to ensure they meet Alberta’s stringent environmental criteria – not the government. The AER has not made a decision on the applications.”