A conveyor belt transports coal at the Westmoreland Coal Company's Sheerness Mine near Hanna, Alta., Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016. An environmental group is calling for improvements after Alberta's energy regulator announced that heavy rain had caused flooding and excessive surface runoff at energy sites, including coal mines. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
EDMONTON – An environmental group is calling for improvements after Alberta’s energy regulator announced heavy rain had caused flooding and excessive surface runoff at energy sites, including coal mines.
The Alberta Energy Regulator posted on its website earlier this week that some coal mines in the Hinton and Grande Cache areas reported wastewater being discharged into the environment.
It says the mixture of surface runoff and sediment was above approved water-quality limits and from unauthorized sources.
The regulator says there were no reported public safety issues and it’s monitoring the situation.
Gillian Chow-Fraser, with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, says she would like to see more details on the environmental effects.
She says wastewater from coal and oilsands mines can be harmful to wildlife, water quality and downstream communities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2023.
