Alberta regulator to hold Rocky Mountain coal hearings despite legal challenge

Alberta’s vigor regulator says it volition spell up with hearings connected ember exploration successful the Rocky Mountains contempt concerns astir the legality of the applications from the province’s apical court.

In a missive dated today, the regulator is denying a petition from the Municipal District of Ranchland to adjourn the hearings until the Alberta Appeal Court rules connected whether the applications from Northback Holdings for ember exploration successful the Crowsnest Pass country were legally accepted.

The tribunal said earlier this summertime that it would perceive an appeal, saying it was astatine slightest arguable that the regulator shouldn’t person accepted applications for a task that had already been denied by provincial and national biology panels.

Ranchland argued that if the tribunal ruled against the applications, regulatory hearings into them would beryllium a waste.

But the regulator says it won’t hold hearings due to the fact that of what mightiness happen.

It says its work is to process applications efficiently and fairly.

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The hearings are scheduled to statesman successful December and wrapper up successful January.