A recent jump in the price of coking coal has provoked a bullish statement on the Grassy Mountain Coal Project from a Riversdale Resources executive.

Riversdale Resources’ managing director Steve Mallyon noted that the price of coking coal has surged almost 150 per cent since February and is trading at $195.70 a tonne.

“Yesterday contracts were settled at US$200 a tonne out of an Australian port for premium hard coking coal. Grassy will sell just below this level so there is growing interest from Japan, Korea and Brazil in the Grassy Development,” he said in a statement.

On Sept. 14, Riversdale Resources’ community liaison Keith Bott gave an update to council on the Grassy Mountain Coal Project.

Bott said Benga Mining, a subsidiary of Riversdale Resources, submitted an updated environmental impact assessment and remaining applications for its proposed Grassy Mountain Coal Project to the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) on August 12.

The package sent to the AER included necessary applications under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, the Public Lands Act, the Water Act and the Coal Conservation Act.

The AER can begin reviewing the EIA now. However, the review will not be completed until all the required information – including aquatics and fisheries information – is submitted to the AER.

Bott said a fisheries field program and air quality monitoring would be continuing into the fall. Results would be compiled before the end of the year and submitted to the AER.

On Sept. 20 council passed a bylaw rezoning a parcel of land for the construction of the community’s golf course, which will see a new clubhouse, golf holes and driving range.

The Crowsnest Pass Golf Club Golf has been planning the reconfiguration of the course for some time now with golf course architect Gary Browning.

In the fall of 2014, Riversdale approached the Crowsnest Pass Golf and Country Club about locating a coal loading facility and rail loop on the course for the Grassy Mountain Coal Project.

The proposed load out would be bordered by the 11th hole about 18 meters below the fairway. It would load four to five trains per week if the mine produces four million tonnes of coal per year.

Riversdale and the golf club have struck a land swapping deal: Riversdale will get the lower nine holes of the course for its load out facility in exchange for a separate parcel for the reconstruction of the golf holes and other structures.

Bott said clearing land for a new driving range has begun and that clearing for the new golf holes would begin later this month.