Two Alberta First Nations say they鈥檙e not convinced the federal government needs to be part of an environmental review for a large thermal coal mine expansion proposal in the province.
And both the Ermineskin and Whitefish Lake First Nations say they鈥檙e concerned the review promised by federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson won鈥檛 consider the economic impact that turning down the planned expansion would have.
鈥淭he scope of consultation must include (Whitefish Lake鈥檚 impact and benefits agreement),鈥� said a letter to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada from Darryl Steinhauer, Whitefish Lake鈥檚consultation coordinator.
鈥淚n response, Canada has been clear that consultation on the reconsideration will not address the (agreement) or directly related matters.鈥�
The statements come after Jonathan Wilkinson said Friday that First Nations had dropped their objections to federal involvement in a review of Coalspur Mines鈥檚 project, which would create North America鈥檚 largest thermal coal mine in the Rocky Mountain foothills west of Edmonton.
Wilkinson was announcing the reinstatement of a federal review, which is considered to be more rigorous than strictly provincial reviews. He had originally announced the review in 2020, after concluding the mine鈥檚 footprint was large enough and its production big enough to cross federal thresholds.
But Ermineskin and Whitefish Lake support the project for its economic benefits and argued their treaty rights were violated when Wilkinson failed to confer with them. They took the federal government to court, requesting a judge order the minister to rethink his decision.
After the court suspended Wilkinson鈥檚 decision and ordered him to reconsider, a series of meetings were held with affected First Nations. On Friday, Wilkinson said their concerns had been answered.
鈥淲e consulted very extensively with Ermineskin (First Nation) and Ermineskin has actually sent us a letter essentially withdrawing their objection to us going through the designation process,鈥� he said from Milan, where he was attending a climate conference.
But Carol Wildcat, the band鈥檚 consultation director, said in a letter to the Impact Assessment Agency that Ermineskin still doesn鈥檛 think Ottawa is needed.
鈥� (Ermineskin)鈥檚 position is that a review of the (project) by the Alberta Energy Regulator is sufficient and that a review under the Impact Assessment Act is not necessary,鈥� she wrote. 鈥� (Ermineskin) neither supports or opposes a federal review of the projects.鈥�
But she also said any review must consider the band鈥檚 financial concerns.
鈥� (Ermineskin) will expect the (agency鈥檚) consultation process to address the potential impacts of (its) decisions about the projects on (the band鈥檚 benefits agreement).鈥�
A federal spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
Wilkinson has said several times that new thermal coal projects don鈥檛 fit with Canada鈥檚 climate change policies and any new projects will have to surmount a high bar for approval.
鈥擝ob Weber, The Canadian Press
