Council backs renewed Grassy Mountain review

Crowsnest Pass council will send a renewed letter supporting continued regulatory consideration of Northback’s proposed Grassy Mountain coal project.

Councillor Dean Ward brought forward the motion July 7 following the failure of the Water Not Coal citizen initiative petition.

Ward said decisions involving major industrial projects should be made through Alberta’s regulatory system rather than by petition.

“I think we should be making decisions on industry based on petitions,” Ward said, appearing to mean council should not make those decisions through petitions.

He proposed sending the letter to Premier Danielle Smith, Livingstone-Macleod MLA Chelsae Petrovic and other relevant provincial officials.

Ward said the letter should reference local support for the project and the potential economic benefits identified in Northback’s recent socioeconomic study.

He emphasized the request would not ask the province to approve a project that fails to meet environmental requirements.

“I’m not asking for government to approve a mine that doesn’t meet environmental standards,” Ward said. “I just want to say that we support a coal mine done responsibly and by environmental standards of the province.”

Ward said the previous Grassy Mountain application was rejected through the regulatory process and the same process should be allowed to assess the revised project.

“If it’s successful, great. If it’s not, that’s on Northback,” Ward said.

Johnson asked whether the proposed wording would recognize that council supports the Alberta Energy Regulator process and its eventual decision.

Council approved the motion.