Conuma Coal receives enforcement order for improper transport of coal

The new owners of the Wolverine mine near Tumbler Ridge started producing steelmaking coal in January. Last fall Conuma put 170 coal miners back to work at the Brule mine, and another 220 miners at the Wolverine mine. A public complaint prompted an investigation into it's transport of coal. The company’s environmental certificate stipulates that coal was to be moved by rail, however Conuma had been hauling 50 to 100 truckloads of coal daily from the Wolverine mine site to the Willow Creek loadout facility for at least four months. The enforcement order requires the company to cease hauling coal by truck from the site and to not resume hauling coal unless it is by rail.

Tumbler Ridge Mayor Don McPherson said that the problem is that the CN Rail spur line to Tumbler Ridge is not currently in service. He puts the blame squarely on CN rail management who stopped all maintenance on the spur line. He said “It’s a real sad story for Tumbler Ridge. We’re just starting to get back on our feet and now we have this ...”