The Environmental Impact of Surface Mining in Alberta

Coal Deposits of late Jurassic to early Tertiary ages underlie much of the Alberta Plains and Foothills at depths ranging from 0 (i.e. at the surface) to 10,000 feet. Although much of this coal is buried too deeply to be considered as an exploitable mineral resource in the foreseeable future, an estimated 25 to 50 billion tons can be recovered by conventional underground and surface mining techniques. This constitutes a major source of potential mineral wealth for the Province of Alberta, and it is assumed in presenting this brief that these coal deposits will be extracted and utilized in accordance with the material requirements of the people of the province and with due regard to protection of the environment.