An Alberta First Nation says it continues to doubt the need for a federal environmental review of a proposed thermal coal mine expansion in the province.
And the Ermineskin band from central Alberta says any federal review that does go ahead must consider the economic consequences of not allowing the mine to proceed.
The statements, made in a letter to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, come after federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said last week that Ermineskin had dropped its objections to a federal review.
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Environment minister restores federal assessment of Hinton coal mine
On Friday, Wilkinson reinstated his decision to subject the Vista coal mine expansion to a federal review after a court suspended the initial ruling at Ermineskin’s request.
Ermineskin supports the project for its economic benefits and argued its treaty rights were violated when Wilkinson failed to consult with them.
Federal Court said Ermineskin should have been consulted before Ottawa decided to step in on the review.
Since then, the band has met four times with federal officials.
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Feds urged to do own review of proposed coal mine expansion near Hinton
The existing Vista mine began shipping coal for export in May 2019 and Coalspur Mines is seeking to expand the mine near Hinton in western Alberta.
The expansion would make Vista the largest thermal coal mine in North America. The company also plans an underground test mine on the site.
Thermal coal, used to generate electricity, is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases worldwide.
READ MORE: The Coal Facts — thermal coal vs. metallurgical coal