implementing new coal-mining rules, as the committee submitted its final report to Minister Sonya last week. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Minister said that the government will “take the necessary time” to review the report before releasing it to the public.
Echoing this statement, Minister Sonya’s press secretary Jennifer Henshaw told The Globe and Mail that the report, which includes eight main recommendations, will be released “as soon as possible”, once it has been thoroughly reviewed by the officials. She added that Ministry of Energy with other government agencies in order to determine the next steps the government intends to take in this regard.
The report was initially due to be submitted to the Energy Minister mid-November, but an extension was granted in view of the “extraordinary volume, breadth and depth” of the input provided by the people of Alberta. The next steps taken by the government will be subject to close scrutiny by environmental groups and local communities who remain opposed to coal mines in sensitive lands, particularly those near crucial headwaters.
Meanwhile, environment critic from the opposition NDP Marlin Schmidt has insisted that the Coal Policy Committee’s findings should be released by the government immediately, instead of sitting on them into the New Year. “There is zero reason to hold this report hostage from Albertans. It’s ready now, and refusing to release it to the public is just another game being played by the UCP,” he said in a statement. “Enough obstruction.”
