Construction around corner for Cheviot coal mine

Construction of the Cheviot coal mine in Alberta is set to begin.

Licences issued by the federal government and a provincial environmental review panel specify that the mine’s owner, Cardinal River Coals, must assume responsibility for highway upgrades, water quality control and the protection of fish habitats, as well as ongoing monitoring programs.

The mine is scheduled to begin operations in 2001, extracting 3.2 million tonnes of metallurgical coal per year for customers in Asia.

The construction decision follows almost a year of legal wrangling over concerns that the operation would threaten the surrounding environment.

In June, an Alberta court upheld the approval of the mine granted by the Alberta Energy and Utilities board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, conditional on certain environmental requirements.