Albertans continue to wait for the decisions: on the remaining litigation for the uncertainty created by the Government of #Alberta due to the lack of #consultation; on the new #coal policy; and on the approval process for Northback’s Grassy Mountain project.

The Grassy Mountain project, given the assessment of the Joint Review Panel, remains ‘not in the public interest.’ The reasons are simple: coal #mines produce waste from which #pollutants leach into surface and #groundwater.

8/14

The report identified impacts to #speciesAtRisk, risks of #contamination of surface- and #groundwater, risks of #airpollution, and that the project did not properly consider #economicRisks in its evaluation (which may be significant for the agri-food sector in our region), while overstating royalty payments. There was no cost evaluation for the long-term treatment of #water (long after the coal mine would be closed) and dubious commitments for #restoration after #mine closure.

4/14