The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) issued regulatory permits to Coalspur Mines for an expansion of its operation at the Vista Coal Mine near Hinton, Alta., which would turn the largest coal mine in Canada into the largest in all of North America. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementApproval was granted for the project by the AER without a regulatory hearing, despite formal objections over the project's potential environmental impacts. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementRegulatory documents show approval for the expansion was granted July 20, 2026, when the AER decided a public hearing was not warranted and issued the final permits. Officials with Coalspur Mines have not responded to requests for comment from CBC News. Federal review considered, quashedThe expansion has faced years of delays as the federal Impact Assessment Agency considered whether the Coalspur project warranted a federal review.