The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has passed the Crown Mountain Coking Coal Project through to the next regulatory phase.
This comes as the proposed coal mine from NWP Coal Canada Limited passed the Agency’s conformity review process.
The conformity review process involves looking into the project’s environmental impact statement to see if it contains the information needed for a technical review.
The next stage will also include a public comment period, which is set to run from Jan. 29 to Feb. 28.
“The first step of the EIS/A (Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Assessment Application) Review Phase is a 30-day public comment period during which the public and Indigenous Nations can provide IAAC and the B.C. Environmental Assessment Agency with feedback and questions about the Project,” said NWP officials.
More: Crown Mountain Coking Coal Project (Impact Assessment Agency of Canada)
“The next regulatory phase, the EIS/A Review Phase, assesses the technical quality of the required information within the EIS/A and provides an opportunity for NWP to respond to requests from the agencies for additional information or studies,” said NWP officials.
This proposed mine will be located in the Elk Valley, near Sparwood.
“The location and scale of the Project provides a unique opportunity for the development of a premium steelmaking coal project with a substantially reduced environmental impact than that of historical and current coal production in Canada and other key producer locations,” said NWP officials.
According to the IAAC, the plan for the open-pit metallurgical coal mine is proposed to have a production capacity of 3.7 million tonnes per year over a 16-year lifespan.
The EIS/A review phase can last as long as necessary, depending on any additional information requests and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
“NWP has engaged extensively with regulators, Indigenous Nations and community stakeholders through the development of the EIS/A to ensure that all issues of concern are well understood and have been incorporated into the EIS/A,” said NWP officials.