Coalspur is facing another delay with the Alberta Energy Regulator, making coal production in two years from the Vista mine unlikely. The mining company said that the provincial regulator is postponing a hearing scheduled for November 26 after four groups asked for more time to prepare presentations of their concerns about the Vista development. Instead, two separate hearings are scheduled. Tourmaline Oil Corp. will present their case in Calgary from December 9-13. Three First Nations, the Ermineskin Cree, Whitefish Lake and Alexis Nakota Sioux, will take part in the second hearing to be held in Hinton from January 13-17. The AER will then grant a decision on the proposed development by mid-April, forcing Coalspur’s production schedule to be pushed back, if Vista is approved. David Montpetit, Coalspur vice president of external affairs and logistics, said that, “It’s probably not going to be in 2015. To do things properly we want to ensure that we look at all different areas: financing timeline, construction timeline, first coal timeline.”
