Ron Wallace

A southern Alberta town has become what it says is the first municipality to endorse a community−developed policy that calls for a permanentban on new coal exploration and development in the Rocky Mountains.

"It was because of the overwhelming response and the need to accommodate that response with extra time that we had to approach the minister with the request for an extension," committee head Ron Wallace said in an interview Tuesday.

Albertans want to talk about a lot more than coal when it comes to development in their beloved Rocky Mountains, says the head of the committee charged with collecting public opinion on the issue.

The Alberta government has tasked a five-member committee with finding out how people feel about open-pit coal mining in the Rocky Mountains and their eastern slopes.

Legal action adds a new twist to a high-stakes saga as Trudeau's government seeks to restore public trust in federal oversight of industry in the face of fierce opposition to pipelines.