Ranchers turn to top Alberta court in hopes of blocking Rockies coal mine

A group of southern Alberta ranchers are turning to the province’s top court in a final bid to block applications for coal exploration in the Rocky Mountains.

Ron Davis, reeve of the Municipal District of Ranchland, says his council will revive an application before the Court of Appeal to appeal the provincial energy regulator’s decision to accept the applications.

The decision comes the day after the Alberta Energy Regulator announced it wouldn’t hear an appeal of its decision under its own procedures.

The regulator has announced it will hold public hearings on the applications from an Australian company, which seeks to build an open-pit mine at Grassy Mountain in southwestern Alberta despite being turned down by provincial and federal environmental reviews.

Ranchland argues the regulator gave too much weight to a letter from the province’s energy minister supporting the applications and because of that, failed to do its own analysis or listen to those opposed to the development.

2:04 Advanced application’ for Rocky Mountain coal mine stirs controversy