Overview

• The Alberta Energy Regulator has conditionally approved Northback Holdings' coal exploration program, deep drill permit, and water diversion licence at Grassy Mountain.
• Exploration activities are limited to water diversion from an isolated end-pit lake, ensuring no downstream impact on water quality or quantity.
• The approval follows months of public hearings involving local residents, Indigenous communities, environmental groups, and industry advocates with diverse opinions on the project.
• Grassy Mountain's coal development was exempted from Alberta's 2023 open-pit coal mining ban as an advanced proposal, reviving a project previously rejected in 2021 over environmental concerns.
• Northback emphasizes its commitment to environmental stewardship and notes any future mining expansion will require additional regulatory approvals and public engagement.