AER Releases Decision Regarding Coalspur Mines Ltd. Applications

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Feb. 27, 2014) - The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has issued Decision 2014 ABAER 004 that grants conditional approval for Coalspur Mines (Operations) Ltd. to proceed with its Vista coal mine project.

The AER approval follows an AER public hearing that took place on December 9, 2013, in Calgary and on January 13, 2014, in Hinton, Alberta.

In granting the approval, the AER placed 26 conditions on the Vista coal mine project to address matters associated with the coal processing plant, mine plan and end-pit lake, geotechnical investigations, fines management, surface water quality and quantity, wetlands, wildlife, and noise mitigation.

Conditions that require completion prior to the project proceeding include

• a water management plan that includes details on proposed surface water and groundwater management, monitoring activities, and in stream flow needs;
  
  
• an adaptive management strategy specific to surface waters within the project area;
  
  
• a wildlife monitoring plan and management strategy that includes wildlife use and movement in the project area; and
  
  
• a monitoring plan to detect hydrological and vegetation changes in three sensitive wetlands adjacent to the project footprint.
  
  

The Coalspur Vista coal mine project is located approximately 10 kilometres east of Hinton and extends for approximately 12 kilometres south east towards the McLeod River Valley.

FOR BROADCAST USE:

The Alberta Energy Regulator has issued a decision that conditionally approves a coal mine project in northwest Alberta. In granting its approval to Coalspur Mines (Operations) Ltd. Vista mine project, the regulator placed a series of 26 conditions on the project that will require the company to address environmental and wildlife matters prior to the start of the project. The full report is available at www.aer.ca.