NWP Coal, the company behind the proposed Crown Mountain open-cut coal mine in the Elk Valley has reported it is preparing to submit environmental assessment documents to provincial and federal authorities in the near future.

Crown Mountain is located almost immediately northeast of Teck’s existing Elkview operations, and to the south of the Line Creek operations.

It is over Erickson Ridge heading towards Alberta, east of Sparwood.

In a presentation to the City of Fernie committee of the whole, NWP Coal representatives said they were wrapping up the documentation for the project’s environmental assessment and would have them filed “early in 2021.”

The project has been in the regulatory processes since 2014.

The mine as envisaged has a footprint of 1,300 hectares, and would take 1.5 years to construct.

According to the company, the Crown Mountain project, if permitted, would produce up to 4 million run-of-mine tonnes per year for a 15-year mine life.

The project would create 500 construction jobs over a 19-month period, and 330 full-time positions when complete.

READ MORE: Crown Mountain project inches forward