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Grassy Mountain has become a battleground between those who see the economic benefits of coal development and those who warn about the risks to the environment
The wind rips across Grassy Mountain as the truck rumbles slowly along a crude track that, for decades, carried miners and coal around this part of the Crowsnest Pass, Alta. Remnants of the region’s coal industry, which dates back to 1900, litter the mountain; an old cart, twisty rusted metal, pockmarked buildings, weathered planks of wood and a mountaintop carved by decades of open-pit mining.
It’s also a battleground, pitting those who support coal development in the region against those who are firmly opposed. A lead proponent is Northback Holdings Corp., which owns a huge swath of land that was, until the 1960s, teaming with coal mines above and under the ground.
It is one of the many companies owned by Hancock Prospecting Pty. Ltd, which is run by Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart – the country’s richest person. Northback has three applications in front of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), seeking permission for a coal exploration program, a deep drill permit for Crown and private land, and a temporary diversion licence for 1.5 million litres of water.
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