Notice of Application
Application No. Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA): 011-00011876 for renewal of EPEA Approval 00011876-04-00; and Water Act (WA) Application No. 33539445 for renewal of WA Licence 00460126-00-00 and Application No. 002-00466983 for renewal of WA Approval No. 00466983-00-00.
Prairie Mines & Royalty ULC (PMRU)
Sheerness Coal Mine (Mine No. 1809)
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has received Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) Application No. 011-00011876 for renewal of the EPEA Approval, and Water Act (WA) Application No. 33539445 for renewal of the WA Licence and Application No. 002-00466983 for renewal of the WA Approval from Prairie Mines & Royalty ULC (PMRU) for the Sheerness Coal Mine (Mine No. 1809).
This notice also sets out the deadline for filing statements of concern (SOC) on this integrated application. See the section below on how to file a SOC for filing dates.
Description of the Application
PMRU has applied under the EPEA, and the WA, for a renewal of the existing EPEA Approval, the WA Approval, and the WA Licence for the Sheerness Coal Mine (Mine No. 1809), an open pit surface coal mine in the western part of the Sheerness Coal Field. The Sheerness Coal Mine is adjacent to the former Montgomery Mine on the east and Highway 36 on the west. The Sheerness mine permit under the Coal Conservation Act (CCA) spans various sections within Townships 028 and 029, Ranges 12 and 13, west of the 4th Meridian, near Hanna, Alberta covering around 7,074 hectares.
Previously two active pits at the Sheerness mine provided approximately 3.4 million tonnes (annually) of sub-bituminous coal to the two-unit, 780-MW Sheerness Generating Station. Although Sheerness had contracts and plans to run as far as 2040, the mine’s closure came sooner than anticipated due to accelerating coal phase-outs and the conversion of the Sheerness Generating Station from coal to natural gas.
PMRU has shifted operation in portions of the former coal mine site to the mining of humalite, a naturally occurring material derived from decomposed plant and algal matter in coal seams that has application in the agricultural industry. The high humic and fulvic acid content of humalite provides significant agricultural benefits, enhancing soil fertility and health.
The applications are for a ten-year renewal of the EPEA and WA approvals and licences.
For a copy of the application, contact:
Prairie Mines & Royalty ULC
Suite 1270, Clark Builders Place
5555 Calgary Trail NW
Edmonton, AB T6H 5P9
Attention: Emily Jepson
Telephone: 306-994-6815
E-mail: ejepson@westmoreland.com
To view the application and supporting documents, use the Integrated Application Registry (IAR) available under Systems & Tools on the AER website. To receive a copy of the application and supporting documents, submit an information request, as outlined at www1.aer.ca/ProductCatalogue/ordering.html, to:
AER Information Distribution Services
Suite 1000, 250 – 5 Street SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0R4
Telephone: 1-855-297-8311 (toll free; option 0)
Fax: 403-297-7040
Email: InformationRequest@aer.ca
Refer to this notice when requesting information for a faster response.
Requirement to File a Statement of Concern
If you have concerns with this application, you must file a statement of concern as described below. If you do not file a statement of concern, the AER may approve the application without further notification.
How to File a Statement of Concern
For your submission to be considered a valid statement of concern, it must be filed by 11:59 p.m. on the filing date below. Send one copy of your statement of concern to the applicant at the name and address above and one copy either online via the AER’s web-based form or by mail or email:
Mail or email:
Regulatory Applications
Alberta Energy Regulator
Suite 1000, 250 – 5 Street SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0R4
Fax: 403-297-7336
Email: SOC@aer.ca
August 08, 2025 Final date to file a statement of concern.
Contents of a Statement of Concern
For your submission to be considered a valid statement of concern, it must include:
a) why you believe that you may be directly and adversely affected by a decision of the AER on the application;
b) the nature of your objection to the application;
c) the outcome of the application that you advocate;
d) the location of your land, residence, or activity in relation to the location of the energy resource activity that is the subject of the application; and
e) your contact information, including your name, address in Alberta, telephone number, and e-mail address or, if you do not have an e-mail address, your fax number.
The AER also requests that you include the application number in your statement of concern.
Confidentiality
Section 49 of the Alberta Energy Regulator Rules of Practice (Rules of Practice) requires that all documents and information filed in a proceeding be placed on the public record. If you file a submission, you must not include any personal information that you do not want to appear on or are not authorized to put on the public record. Section 49(2) of the Rules of Practice states how to apply to the AER for an order to keep information confidential. The Rules of Practice is available on the AER website at www.aer.ca.
Jurisdiction
Submissions relating exclusively to compensation for land use are not dealt with by the AER and should be referred to the Alberta Surface Rights Board.
Under section 21 of the Responsible Energy Development Act, the AER does not have the jurisdiction to assess the adequacy of Crown consultation associated with the rights of Aboriginal peoples as recognized and affirmed under the Constitution Act, 1982.
For information on AER procedures, refer to the AER website.
Issued at Calgary, Alberta, on July 09, 2025.
ALBERTA ENERGY REGULATOR
