The BIGGEST Coal Threat to Date

Your letter will be sent to your representative Member of the Legislative Assembly, as well as the Minister of Energy and MInerals, and the Premier of Alberta.

Minister

Brian

Jean

Government of Alberta

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I am writing to you today to express my grave concern over Ministerial Order 03/2025, the Coal Industry Modernization Initiative, and the future of Alberta’s water, Rocky Mountains and foothills.

I want Alberta’s Eastern Slopes to remain intact and, as such, any new coal direction or policy MUST prohibit ALL further coal exploration and development. Instead, this short-sighted decision REMOVES the moratorium on coal and allows new coal exploration to begin as soon as this spring. This is unacceptable, and I am adamantly opposed to this irresponsible move.

Not only was no further public engagement or consultation done prior to this decision by Minister Jean, this new direction is in direct opposition to public consultation conducted by the Government of Alberta in 2021, which indicated that 70% of Albertans oppose all new coal exploration or mining. It also contradicts the recommendations of the Coal Policy Committee, appointed by the Government of Alberta and based on input from experts, coal companies, and community groups.

In 2022, more than 50 organizations, municipalities, and businesses signed on to A Coal Policy for Alberta – 2022 and Beyond (www.acoalpolicyforalberta.com) based on publicly available feedback submitted to the Coal Policy Committee.  It provides a clear path forward to the end of coal in Alberta.

I am asking you to ensure that the new coal policy for Alberta follows this widely endorsed approach and protects the Eastern Slopes from destructive coal mining. Any new coal policy put forward by the province should contain the following key principles:

- Reinstate the moratorium on ANY new coal mine exploration or development.

- No further coal exploration or development will be permitted on the Eastern Slopes of Alberta, including expansions of existing operations. The new coal policy should cover the entire area previously covered by the 1976 Coal Development Policy and prohibit new exploration and development in this entire area.

- Reclamation of lands disturbed by coal exploration activities with coal exploration permits must be reclaimed by the company no later than December 31, 2025. Reclamation costs should be covered in full by the companies and not fall to the taxpayer.

- Existing thermal and metallurgical coal mining operations in this region will be permitted to reach the end of their lives but must meet all provincial and federal guidelines and regulations, including water quality guidelines, for the duration of operations, post-closure and post-reclamation.

- Closure and reclamation of mines no longer in operation should occur as soon as possible. Re-opening of mines in Care and Maintenance should be considered as ‘new mine operation’ and not be permitted.

- Comprehensive land-use planning, including cumulative effects assessment and threshold planning, should be conducted across the Eastern Slopes to address the impacts of all other land-uses and activities in the region as soon as possible. The Land Use Framework contains the tools for Regional Plans and/or subregional plans that take this comprehensive approach.

Any future Coal Policy has significant implications for other Ministries and must include the potential cumulative impacts and trade-offs for all rightsholders and stakeholders that stand to be impacted by mining, as well as the impacts of other human activities, on the Eastern Slopes.

A new coal policy for Alberta must safeguard Alberta’s Eastern Slopes because:

- The inherent value of the Eastern Slopes only exists if the landscape is restored and remains intact.

- The headwaters and landscapes of the Eastern Slopes are critical to the future of our province. Our communities, agricultural production, food production, tourism, and recreation all rely on these landscapes existing in as intact a state as possible and their watersheds providing clean water. Water is an increasingly at-risk limited resource critical to present and future generations.

- The long-term negative impacts on the environment, human health, animal health and existing and emerging economies far outweigh the new jobs, taxes, royalties or economics that may be generated in the relative short-term as a result of coal development in this area.

Alberta's Eastern Slopes are a key piece of what makes our province so special. I urge you to prioritize the inherent values and benefits they provide and protect this unique landscape for generations of Albertans to enjoy.

Sincerely,

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