Not achievable: Mining association objects to proposed federal coal effluent rules

Canada's mining industry is pushing back against proposed tougher federal coal effluent rules, saying the draft regulations aren't practical or backed by science.

"We just do not see a path to achieving those limits," said Pierre Gratton of the Mining Association of Canada, which expressed its concerns in a March 2 letter to Environment Canada.

"(Environment Canada) has not articulated a justification for going further than the limits that have been agreed to."

The federal government has been trying to write effluent rules for coal since 2017, in response to requests from industry.

Coal mines are currently regulated under the Fisheries Act, which includes a blanket ban on all contaminants entering any waterway. Industry wanted tailored rules that would clearly address the specific concerns of coal mining.