Why the reversal of a decades-old coal policy sparked controversy in Alberta

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In 1976, when then-Alberta premier Peter Lougheed enacted a policy limiting coal development, he safeguarded parts of the iconic Rocky Mountains. That land is now at the centre of a provincial debacle over the future of mining. 

Balancing the coal industry and the integrity of the beloved mountains was at the heart of Lougheed's decision, said David Luff, who worked in Lougheed's government. 

In late May 2020, however, the Alberta government quietly scrapped the 1976 policy, allowing companies to explore and apply for leases on land in the Rockies that was previously off-limits. 

With no public consultation, "the government betrayed the trust that Albertans had given it to manage our resources," said Luff.

Luff helped devise that original policy and said leading up to its rollout, the province asked Albertans about the Eastern Slopes, mountains stretching from the U.S. border about 800 kilometres north to central Alberta. The landscape is often used as a backdrop in film and TV, with cattle grazing in the foreground and soaring peaks in the distance. 

The top priorities for the public were keeping the mountain landscape intact for recreation, tourism and, most importantly, watersheds. 

"Whether it's Edmonton or Lethbridge or Red Deer or Calgary, that's where all our drinking water comes from," said Luff.

The majority of coal mined in and exported from Alberta is metallurgical, used to make steel. 

The 1976 policy defined land largely by how sensitive it would be to development. Category 1, near the Alberta-B.C. border, was in protected areas that precluded mining, including national parks like Banff and Jasper. 

In Category 2, a proposal for an open-pit coal mine required permission from the province before submitting it to the Alberta Energy Regulator. Effectively, this created a hurdle that wasn't worthwhile for most companies. 

Categories 3 and 4 — largely farther east of 1 and 2 — were open to mining, with some restrictions. 

For Susan Douglas-Murray, the cancellation of the policy became clear in subtle ways at first. Not far from her home in the municipality of Crowsnest Pass, where she and her husband run fly fishing tours in the nearby mountain rivers, she started to see local back roads being closed off and work trucks passing through.