Crowsnest Pass residents to vote on Grassy Mountain coal project

Crowsnest Passmunicipal council will askits residents whether they support a proposed coal mining project in the nearby the Rocky Mountains.

Council passed a motion Tuesday to hold a non-binding votethat will askresidents within 90 days whether they support the development and operations of the coal mine at Grassy Mountain.

The subject of the voteis Northback Holdings'plan to explorefor a steel-making coal mine near Crowsnest Pass, located about 240 kilometres southwest of Calgary.

Dean Ward, a municipal council member, put the motion forward because he feelsresidentsweren'tbeing heard in recent debates about the project.

"I don't see any of these groups that have stepped forward opposed to this project that have said once, 'Let's go see how the residents of Crowsnest Pass feel about this issue,'" Ward told CBCRadio'sThe Homestretchon Friday.

"I don't think we're getting a lot of input at all."

The Grassy Mountain project has drawn support from a number of local residentsfor the well-paying jobs it could bring to the area. But others have raised concerns about the project's impacton wildlife, air and water quality, and the landscape.

Ward said he believes the jobs the project would bring could draw more people to the regionand help the municipality grow.

"It gives people the potential to make a good wage," Ward said.

"The burden of everything we're trying to do in this town is placed on the residential taxpayers, which is very hard when 40 per centof your population are seniors. And we're struggling. We want this community to thrive and grow."

LISTEN | CBC Calgary's The Homestretch discusses the upcoming vote in Crowsnest Pass about the Grassy Mountain project:

The Homestretch9:08Grassy Mountain

Crowsnest Pass residents are about to weigh-in on a controversial coal mining project in the rocky mountains. The Australian mining company Northback Holdings wants to develop a coal mine at Grassy Mountain, north of Blairmore.Their proposals have been stuck in the courts and in the approval process for about ten years.This week, the Municipality of Crowsnest agreed to put the idea to its residents for a non-binding vote.Councillor Dean Ward put forward the motion to hold the vote.

Northback spokesperson Rina Blacklaws said the company welcomes the vote, adding its project has received significant support from Crowsnest Passresidents.

"When they have their saythat does not mean that we can then go ahead and build a mine," Blacklaws said.

"It means that we can proceed through the regulatory process with community support, hopefully."

She addedthe company has been conducting community outreach in the area through open houses and tours, and is developing a new mine plan to submit to the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER).

Northbackhas applied for three new exploration permits at Grassy Mountain,though the same mine proposal was previously denied by federal and provincial environmental review panels.

News of the Crowsnest Pass council's decision follows several recent requests for the AERto call off hearings on the Grassy Mountain project whilethe Alberta Court of Appeals considers whetherapplications for theproposal are legitimate.

Two years ago, Alberta's provincial government said in aministerial order that no more coal development would be allowed in the Rocky Mountains.

However, Brian Jean, who became provincial energy minister after the order was issued,later argued Northback's proposal should be considered exempt from that banbecause it had previously come before regulators.

The AERagreed and has scheduled public hearings on the applications for Dec. 3 and 4.

The Municipal District of Ranchlandis calling to delay those hearings.It argues the AER was wrong to exempt Northback's proposalbecause of the project's previous rejection by a regulatory body.

The AER is weighing Ranchland and Northback's arguments, and will issue a decision after Sept. 20aboutwhether it will delay theproject's public hearings.