The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) recently approved exploratory drilling for a controversial mining project in the Crowsnest Pass, and Wildsight says Alberta should have learned from B.C.’s struggles with mining pollution.
The Grassy Mountain mining project, owned by Northback Holdings, is an open-pit mine proposed to go ahead on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains at the site of a formerly abandoned coal mine. The project was originally rejected in 2021 due to widespread opposition and potential damage to agriculture, ecosystems and watersheds.
However, the AER reversed that decision on Friday, May 16, 2025. Simon Wiebe, East Kootenay-based mining policy and impacts researcher for Wildsight, says this was a disappointing decision. “This was a project that was rejected by Albertans and federal regulators as it was deemed too risky for the environment and Albertans,” said Wiebe.
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