Danielle Smith defending Alberta government's involvement in coal exploration hearing

Alberta’s premier is defending her government’s involvement in a recent hearing approval for coal exploration in the Rocky Mountains.

The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has granted an Australian mining company a public hearing for its open-pit steelmaking plans in southwest Alberta.

Northback Holdings wants permission to do exploratory drilling and water diversion near Crowsnest Pass.

Despite already being turned down by both federal and provincial environmental reviews, Alberta Minister of Energy Brian Jean told the AER that Northback’s proposal is, by definition, "advanced." That makes it eligible for review, according to a ministerial order passed in 2022, Jean wrote.

The regulator subsequently accepted Northback's applications and promised hearings on its Grassy Mountain projects.

When asked about Jean’s letter, the premier said "It’s an independent process."

"There were four advanced projects, (and) I think the minister just wanted to provide clarity about what those four were," Smith said. "The regulator is going through that and I’ll just let them do their work."

"The coal companies have to do the work of demonstrating they can do development in a way that satisfies community concerns and addresses the environment."

The opposition is calling it political interference.

"The reason why these arm-length agencies are created is to establish that independence and decision-making so that the politics of the day do not necessarily influence the outcome of those decisions," Alberta NDP Environment Critic Sarah Elmeligi said.

The Municipal District of Ranchlands, where the project is located, wants to appeal the hearing decision.

Northback has asked the regulator to schedule hearings this month and rule on them within 30 days.

"It is really concerning that we’re sort of finding these loopholes around whether something is an advanced project or not for one application, and what that says about the real intention of direction of both the government and the Alberta Energy Regulator," Katie Morrison with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) said.

"Hold off on this process until the courts decide whether it is legally allowed."

An AER spokesman says that while no date for the hearings has been set, they are being planned.

"The coal companies have to do the work of demonstrating they can do development in a way that satisfies community concerns and addresses the environment."

A statement from Jean’s office reiterated the premier’s message on Wednesday, calling the letter a way to classify specific projects. 

"The AER is an independent body that reviews applications to ensure they meet Alberta's stringent environmental criteria – not the government," part of the emailed statement reads.

But the opposition isn’t convinced. In fact, some in the NDP are still calling the situation political interference.