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A large piece of mining equipment stands in the dark rock of a mine.

Coal mining in an open pit by Mark Agnor via Shutterstock

Alberta
In progress

Saying no to a coal comeback: The Vista coal mine

Coalspur Mines (Operations) Ltd. v. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change et. al.

October 14, 2020

Coal projects — such as the proposed Vista coal mine expansions — have no place in Canada’s future or a livable climate.  

Thermal coal projects are an environmental issue, a social justice issue and a human health issue. Thermal coal is one of the world’s dirtiest fossil fuels, toxic to human health and disastrous for the climate. Burning coal accounted for over 40 per cent of the overall growth in global CO2 emissions in the last year and has no place in our future.   

And yet, the proposed expansions to Vista, located in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, would make it the largest thermal coal mine in Canadian history. The project is expected to result in the extraction of up to 15 million tonnes (MT) of coal per year. When shipped and consumed abroad, burning this much coal could lead to 33 MT of carbon annually.   

Despite its enormous scale, Vista has slipped through the cracks and managed to avoid a federal impact assessment a crucial step in the regulatory oversight process. If Vista’s expansions are allowed to move forward without an impact assessment, it could destroy critical fish and wildlife habitat, impact water quality, threaten Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and cause significant environmental harms.   

That is why Ecojustice stepped up to represent our clients.   

In 2020, with the help of 46 environmental, Indigenous, health, civil society and faith organizations, as well as tens of thousands of Canadians, Ecojustice and its clients scored an important victory when the Minister agreed to designate the Vista expansions for an assessment. Since that time we’ve stood behind our clients to defend the Minister’s decision at every step of the way. However, in October 2023 the Supreme Court of Canada announced that certain portions of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) were unconstitutional, which resulted in revoking Vista’s hard-fought designation while the federal government amended the IAA.   

Now, Coalspur is trying to bring Vista back from the dead — but we’re still fighting.   

On behalf of Keepers of the Water and the West Athabasca Watershed Bioregional Society, two community groups living and working in the watershed where Vista is located, Ecojustice is demanding that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change redesignate the expansions for a federal impact assessment after recent amendments to the IAA.   

Impact assessments are critical tools that help the government understand and limit harms to environment, endangered species, the climate, human health, and Indigenous Peoples and frontline communities.  

We’re the last line of defense. Join us in demanding an impact assessment for Vista today. 

Coalspur’s Vista coal mine is a massive thermal coal mine located near Hinton, Alta. If built, a proposed expansion of the mine could almost triple its current capacity, leading to an increase in pollution, infringement on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and destruction of the habitat of a federally-protected species of trout.

Simply put, the climate can’t afford a coal comeback.

The federal government has already committed to banning the export of thermal coal from Canada by 2030 and Ecojustice is determined that the Vista coal expansion project should not be allowed to proceed.

If Canada is to achieve its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 – the minimum required for maintaining a liveable planet – we cannot continue to mine and burn thermal coal in Canada or abroad.

This is an opportunity for the federal government to stand against the unchecked production of one of the world’s dirtiest fossil fuels, and a defining moment to turn away from thermal coal once and for all. 

Ecojustice staff

Fraser Thomson

Daniel Cheater

Dyna Tuytel

 

Clients

Keepers of the Water

West Athabasca Watershed Bioregional Society

 

Aug 2024
Rio Tinto Bengalla coal mine
press release

Community groups call on feds to stop expansion of largest proposed thermal coal mine in Canadian history

CALGARY/TERRITORIES OF THE BLACKFOOT AND PEOPLES OF TREATIES 6 AND 7, HOME TO MÉTIS NATION OF ALBERTA, REGION III — Environmental and Indigenous organizations are demanding that Coalspur’s Vista thermal coal mine expansions be designated for federal impact assessment — noting threats to endangered species, the climate and Indigenous rights.
May 2022
Rio Tinto Bengalla coal mine
press release

Vista coal mine expansion project must undergo federal impact assessment

CALGARY/TERRITORIES OF THE BLACKFOOT AND PEOPLES OF TREATIES 6 AND 7, HOME TO MÉTIS NATION OF ALBERTA, REGION III – Ecojustice is in court on behalf of Keepers of the Water and the West Athabasca Watershed Bioregional Society to uphold the Minister of Environment and Climate Change’s decision to send the proposed Vista coal mine.
May 2021
A black and white image of a large machine. It works on large rocks.
press release

Ecojustice in court to fight Coalspur Mines’ attempt to expand Vista thermal coal mine without federal impact assessment

CALGARY/TERRITORIES OF THE BLACKFOOT AND PEOPLES OF TREATIES 6 AND 7, HOME TO MÉTIS NATION OF ALBERTA, REGION III – Ecojustice is in court today and tomorrow on behalf of Keepers of the Water, Keepers of the Athabasca, and the West Athabasca Watershed Bioregional Society to fight against Coalspur Mines (Operations) Ltd’s attempt to overturn.
Jul 2020
A coal mine stands on flat, wet ground. In the distance are snow capped mountains.
press release

STATEMENT: Vista coal mine expansion to undergo federal impact assessment, Ecojustice reacts

CALGARY – Ecojustice lawyer and climate program director Alan Andrews issued the following statement in response to Minister Wilkinson’s decision to designate Coalspur’s Vista coal mine expansion for a federal impact assessment: “Minister Wilkinson has shown real climate leadership by requiring that the Vista coal mine expansion go through a federal impact assessment.
Jul 2020
A large piece of mining equipment stands in the dark rock of a mine.
press release

47 Canadian orgs call out coal ‘hypocrisy’ in open-letter urging assessment for Vista mine expansion

CALGARY – Forty-seven environmental, Indigenous, health, civil society and faith organizations from across Canada have come together to demand Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jonathan Wilkinson designate the Vista coal mine expansion for an environmental assessment.
Dec 2019
A large piece of mining equipment stands in the dark rock of a mine.
press release

Vista coal mine decision highlights Canada’s climate hypocrisy: Ecojustice

CALGARY – The federal government’s decision to allow a massive thermal coal project to go ahead without an environmental assessment highlights the rift between Canada’s “powering past coal” talk and its willingness to take action, Ecojustice says.