By: Nigel Bankes and Cheryl Bradley
PDF Version: Water for Coal Developments: Where Will It Come From?
Matters Commented On: A Coal Development Policy for Alberta (1976, rescinded June 1, 2020); Oldman River Basin Water Allocation Order, Alta Reg 319/2003
The Government of Alberta (GoA) is hell-bent on facilitating the development of new coal mines in the Province. To that end, it purported to rescind the long-standing Coal Development Policy (CDP) of 1976 effective June 1, 2020. The CDP prevented development of coal resources in Category I lands on the eastern slopes of the Rockies and only permitted the development of new underground mines (rather than open-pit mines) in Category II lands (see Figure 1, below, also available here).