The Montane Subregion occurs on lower slopes and valley bottoms, and its upper boundary is the lower limit of the Subalpine Natural Subregion.  The Project is also located in the Rocky Mountain Foreland Thrust and Fold Belt, within a succession of generally west-dipping thrust faults and associated folds with predominantly west-dipping axial surfaces.  The Project lies between two major thrust faults, in an area of somewhat lesser disturbance.   The coal deposits of the Project area are typical of those for Inner Foothills and Rocky Mountain areas which have been subjected to a relatively high tectonic formation.  Fault offsets are common but fault- bounded plates generally retain normal stratigraphic thicknesses. 

Grassy Mountain coal in the Mist Mountain Formation outcrop occurs in a general north-south direction for a strike length of approximately seven (7) km.  The Mist Mountain Formation consists of 66 to 194 vertical metres of strata and is overlain by prominent, weather-resistant Blairmore conglomerate.  The strata have been strongly folded and faulted, resulting in sediments and coal zones repeated in parallel bands.  Coal deposits of this type are characterized by tight folds, some with steeply inclined or overturned limbs.  Fault offsets are common but fault-bounded plates
generally retain normal stratigraphic thicknesses.

The coal in the open pit mine will be extracted using standard surface mining techniques found in other operating mines located in western Canada.  Topsoil and sub-soil materials will be salvaged ahead of drilling and blasting operations using bulldozers to push the topsoil into windrows.  An excavator and truck fleet will then follow behind and pick the topsoil up and haul it to designated stockpile areas until a suitable final reclamation placement area can be developed.  Drilling and blasting activities will then begin to break up the waste rock ahead of excavation by diesel powered mining shovels and then hauled away in large haul trucks.  Initially, the waste rock will be directed to ex-pit disposal areas until locations open up for in-pit backfill.  Once the waste rock has been removed the coal is mined and hauled down to the raw coal stockpile area located near the coal handling process plant (CHPP).  Both coal and waste rock haul roads will be developed to allow access from the mining face to the disposal areas.  Full details on reclamation areas and haul roads are currently under development by the Project’s Engineering Team.

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