An Australian coal speculator that is suing the Alberta government for billions of dollars has been found to have violated the Public Lands Act and has been ordered to clean up contamination at a construction site in the Crowsnest Pass.

Despite repeated visits by government inspectors, Montem Resources, which now operates under the name of Evolve Power, ignored requests to clean up after its unauthorized construction activities for a year and half. (The enforcement order names Montem.)

In 2025 the company asked for an extension on an enforcement order by Alberta Forestry and Parks and was granted one by the government.

Critics of Premier Danielle Smith’s unpopular pro-coal development policies in the eastern slopes of the Rockies say the incident underscores that while the government can promise “environmentally responsible policies that hold industry to the highest standards,” the reality is different.