The existing Vista mine near Hinton is owned by the U.S. coal giant Cline Group and began shipping coal for export in May 2019.
Environmental groups are asking Ottawa to enforce its rules on an Alberta coal site that has started building an underground test mine without fisheries permits that officials have said are required.Coalspur has argued that because the test mine doesn't expand the mine's overall footprint, no additional permits are required.
But by then the Department of Fisheries and Oceans had reviewed plans for both projects and decided it required permits under two different pieces of legislation. The department has been in contact with Coalspur but has not begun an investigation, said Fisheries spokesperson Robert Rombouts. The company has received all necessary provincial permits for the test mine. Coalspur has argued that because the test mine doesn't expand the mine's overall footprint, no additional permits are required.
"We know what will happen once work has started on both the underground mine and this future expansion," Cheater said. "Department of Fisheries and Oceans has confirmed what the expected impacts are.A revamped environmental assessment act is expected this spring, with draft regulations on coal mine effluent in the fall, Environment Canada spokeswoman Kaitlin Power said in an email.
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