This is the eighth post in the Environmental Law Centre’s new blog series exploring climate change law in Canada. This blog series provides updates on climate change law developments and includes insights from our related law reform research. This blog series is generously funded by...
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has recently issued The Alberta Model for Regulatory Excellence (the “Alberta Model”). The Alberta Model is based upon the AER’s Best-in-Class Initiative conducted by the University of Pennsylvania through its Penn Program on Regulation to assist the AER in developing...
As was reported last week, a large chunk of change is being sought by the Petroleum Services Association of Canada from the federal government to bolster economic activity around reclamation of well sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan. This, as I have noted in the past, is not...
A light-hearted look back at 2015 is in order. (This time to “Jingle Bells” – nice and short to keep with solstice. This blog may be the counter point to my 2012 blog). Dashing to the polls In a three horse federal race, Over to selfies we go, Laughing all the way Suppression...
The Alberta Government released its long anticipated Climate Leadership Plan yesterday. The policy is based upon the recommendations made by the Climate Change Advisory Panel Report and focuses on four key areas for further development: implementing a new carbon price on greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution, phasing out...
The Final Report entitled Listening, Learning, and Leading: A Framework for Regulatory Excellence was released in late October. It was prepared pursuant to the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)’s Best-in-Class Initiative conducted by the University of Pennsylvania through its Penn Program on Regulation to assist the...
As mentioned in previous blog posts, we have been participating in the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)’s Best-in-Class Initiative. This initiative is being conducted by the University of Pennsylvania through its Penn Program on Regulation to develop the tools and framework necessary for the AER to...
Pollution pocketbook is a short blog series regarding how our laws and policies incorporate the polluter pays principle. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="270"] Imperial Refinery, Calgary, AB, Canada. Dept. of Mines and Technical Surveys / Library and Archives Canada / PA-015634[/caption] The polluter pays principle (PPP) is...
Controversial spin-off industries expose gaps in regulation Click Here for some media coverage about a dispute over the storage of fracking sand in Penhold, Alberta. Here is some more coverage of the same debate. The sand contains crystalline silica, which is known to cause deadly lung ailments...
Late last year, the National Energy Board (NEB) released its decision on the Northern Gateway Project and recommended approval of the project subject to 209 conditions (see here for our summary of that decision). While the NEB conducted the public hearing and issued a decision,...
[caption id="attachment_2290" align="alignright" width="300"] Gerry Protti at Green Regs & Ham, Calgary, 2014[/caption] Last week, over 100 environmental nonprofit leaders, regulatory lawyers and industry representatives gathered together to enjoy Green Regs & Ham in Calgary. This second-annual event featured Gerry Protti, Chair of the Alberta Energy...
Answer: No one who doesn’t ask. Here’s a little story from the CBC about their efforts to access information on a not so little pipeline explosion. In response, the National Energy Board disclosed an incident report that the article implies was altered in response to CBC’s request....