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The Alberta Energy Regulator this week approved applications for coal exploration, drilling and water diversion at a site called Grassy Mountain in the south of the province – a decision some opponents vow to fight.
Thursday’s ruling by the AER is the latest development in a long-running battle over reviving the defunct metallurgical coal mining industry in the Crowsnest Pass, which has pitted neighbours and communities against one another. While approval to reopen an old mine on the site remains a long way off, this decision brings it one step closer.
The lead proponent is Northback Holdings Corp., which owns a huge swath of land that was, until the 1960s, teeming 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.
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