Rimrock Renewables has received approval from the provincial government to proceed without further Land Use or Development Permit approvals from Foothills County, for the biodigester facility.
The Government of Alberta issued an Order in Council amending the Exemption Regulation of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) on July 9.
The MGA governs planning and development regulations in the province. However, under the new order, it will not apply to the biodigester facility in Foothills County.
Under the order, the biodigester facility includes the land, buildings, structures, process and pollution abatement equipment, vessels, storage facilities, material handling facilities, roadways, railways, pipelines and other installations to be used for, or in connection, with the waste management facility and the associated power plant.
The Rimrock biodigester is designed to convert organic waste into energy.
The biodigester was approved by Foothills County Council on June 11 following a public hearing.