Tumbler Ridge coal mines could soon reopen

Coal could be making a comeback in Tumbler Ridge as a West Virginia company hopes to purchase three of the shuttered mines.

Tom Clarke of E.R.P Compliant Fuels says offers have already been made to every unemployed coal miner still living in the community and company representatives are working to get the closed mines operational.

"We've probably got a dozen people up there today and we were coordinating rewiring the phones last night," said Clarke.

Mayor Don McPherson says it's welcome news following a series of mine closures over the last few years.

The community's last mine closed at the beginning of 2015 resulting in soaring unemployment.

The three closed mines would employ hundreds of people in northeastern B.C. if the sale goes through.

"It'd be awesome for us, just the fact that somebody is looking at buying one of those mines, means a lot," he said.

"But then when you look at the planning, of opening part of it... that's really big."

Environmental coal mining?

E.R.P. Compliant Fuels bills itself as a fossil fuel company interested in reducing global carbon emissions. According to the company's website, E.R.P. uses revenue from coal sales to purchase carbon offsets in an effort to reduce overall C02 levels.

"Every ton of coal we sell we offset the carbon emissions by ten per cent," said Clarke.

Clarke said increasing demand for the product is also behind his company's interest in Tumbler Ridge.

"I guess I would characterize it as an improving coal market," he said. 

"Certainly not what it was, and I don't know if in our lifetime it will ever be back to where it was, but.. we're going to keep people employed and pay our bills, and it's going to work."

The company hopes to have the sale approved by Sept. 1.

With files from Andrew Kurjata.