CALGARY, ALBERTA The SIERRA LEGAL DEFENCE FUND has filed an application for judicial review in the Federal Court of Canada, on behalf of five environmental groups. The application seeks to compel the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to undertake another environmental assessment of the Cheviot coal mine project, 100% owned by ELK VALLEY COAL CORP., in west-central Alberta.
The Cheviot project was approved following a thorough and lengthy environmental assessment process that spanned over eight years. Elk Valley Coal has secured all necessary provincial mining and environmental approvals and will commence operations in the new mining area upon receipt of a Fisheries Act Authorization from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). While the court application has the potential to delay the project, Elk Valley Coal continues to believe that authorization will be received on a timely basis.
The company claims that the Cheviot project enjoys wide community and First Nations support. Continued mining will provide jobs and economic benefits for more than 20 years to the region, which includes local communities such as Hinton and Edson in Alberta. For more information contact Dermot Lane of Elk Valley Coal Corp., at (413) 260-9816.
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