“Our job now is to develop a policy that respects the natural spaces in the foothills and protects water while allowing for responsible coal development that can attract investment and create jobs,” he added.
The aim of the new Alberta Coal Industry Modernization Initiative (CIMI), to be drafted for government approval later in 2025, is to protect Alberta’s waters from mining contaminants such as selenium, while setting the standards for future coal mining in the world.
The CIMI will be based on the intent of the 1976 Coal Development Policy, picking up on the work done by the 2021 Coal Policy Committee, including addressing the committee’s recommendations.
The CIMI will “build a long-term legislative and regulatory framework focused on environmental protections while allowing coal development under some of the most stringent protections in the world,” Alberta’s energy ministry stated.
It stressed…
