One of several new coalmines planned for B.C. this year will start operations on Friday, but environmentalist say the new operations are undermining the province's own climate change commitments.

One of several new coalmines planned for B.C. this year will start operations on Friday, but environmentalist say the new operations are undermining the province's own climate change commitments.

The Willow Creek Mine in B.C.'s Peace River region will officially open on Friday, with the blessing of B.C.'s Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Blair Lekstom.

Evan Saugstad, the mayor of the nearby town of Chetwynd says he welcomes the mine, which the Western Coal company promises will create 300 jobs by 2012.

"It's a great news story for the entire region. Eventually it would be nice if we weren't burning coal in this world. But until we're there, we might as well be the ones that can take advantage of it," said Saugstad.

Western Coal has said the mine will produce nearly a million tons of metallurgical coal per year, which is in demand in emerging markets, such as China.

Exports hypocritical, say environmentalists

But Ben West, a campaigner with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee says B.C.'s eagerness to export coal tarnishes the green image the government wants to project.

"As much as it's great to create jobs, I worry this is supporting a sunset industry. If we're serious about doing something about climate change, coal is basically public enemy number one."

West said it's hypocritical of the government to talk up its green image while supporting increased mining and export of what he calls the dirtiest fossil fuel in the world.

"This is kind of like B.C.'s dirty secret. Here we are, purporting to be a leader on climate change but yet at the same time actively promoting the mining and export of the world's dirtiest fossil fuel," he said.

"This substance, coal, which is seen by people around the world as probably the biggest problem we've got in terms of climate change. It's the most carbon-intensive source of energy around the world," he said.

Exports not counted in GHG calculations

Energy researchers say they've been lobbying the province to start including the potential green house gas emission from coal exports in B.C.'s carbon calculations, which at this time include only domestic emissions.

B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell has promised to cut the provinces greenhouse gas emission by one-third by 2020, but energy researcher Arthur Caldecott says the government has shown no interest in adding the coal emissions to it's domestic calculations.

"We've had no traction at all from the provincial government," he said.

B.C.'s official climate action plan to cut greenhouse gases is among the most aggressive in North America and includes a carbon tax, and an as-yet undefined cap-and-trade system.