Alberta regulator to hold Rocky Mountain coal hearings despite legal challenge

Alberta’s energy regulator says it will go ahead with hearings on coal exploration in the Rocky Mountains despite concerns about the legality of the applications from the province’s top court.

In a letter dated today, the regulator is denying a request from the Municipal District of Ranchland to adjourn the hearings until the Alberta Appeal Court rules on whether the applications from Northback Holdings for coal exploration in the Crowsnest Pass area were legally accepted.

The court said earlier this summer that it would hear an appeal, saying it was at least arguable that the regulator shouldn’t have accepted applications for a project that had already been denied by provincial and federal environmental panels.

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

But the regulator says it won’t delay hearings because of what might happen.

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

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The hearings are scheduled to begin in December and wrap up in January.