ELC in the News

See how the Environmental Law Centre is making headlines.

From expert commentary to collaborative projects, discover the stories highlighting our role in shaping environmental law and driving meaningful policy change.

2022

July 2022:
Alberta needs to be proactive in planning and managing water for environmental outcomes

May 2022:
Epcor solar farm in Edmonton river valley sparks controversy

August 2022:
Saskatchewan alleges federal employees illegally taking water samples from farmers

2021

New Alberta trails policy, waiving of off-roading fee comes under fire | Calgary Herald

Calgary’s new mayor wants to declare a climate emergency. What could it mean for Canada’s energy capital?

Alberta trails legislation fails to stay on a sustainable path: environmental law centre

Taking steps towards establishing an extended producer responsibility framework for waste

2020

Alberta’s renewed bet on coal: what Kenney’s policy shift means for mining, parks and at-risk species The Narwhal (July 29, 2020)

Alberta to redefine ‘minerals,’ excluding 500 sand projects from environmental scrutiny (July 7, 2020)

Alberta bills focus on business, public health as province seeks to emerge from pandemic – The Lawyer’s Daily (June 24, 2020)

COLUMN: Parks and recreational areas are a public trust , an economic opportunity, and not red tape (June 19, 2020)

Alberta environmental monitoring remains suspended as state of emergency ends | National Observer (June 18, 2020)

8 environmental responsibilities Alberta’s oil and gas companies can skip because of coronavirus(April 27, 2020)

UCP gives industry a pass on reporting environmental data during COVID-19 crisis (April 2, 2020)

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (March 2020)
Mitigation and adaptation efforts will be crucial in building capacity to cope with the impacts from climate change, discussed in more detail in this article from ELC’s Brenda Heelan Powell and Rebecca Kauffman in the latest issue of LawNow.

2016

Public input strengthens municipal legislation (November 2016)

2015

Potential land buyers have avenues to access environmental information (Ponoka News, Feb 2015)

2014

Alberta oil companies have abandonment issues (FFWD Weekly, Feb 2014)

Conservation offset policies (Alberta Primetime, May 2014)

Mayor opposes second ring road (Edmonton Journal, May 2014)

2013

What the Abitibi Bowater decision could mean for future oil sands remediation (Alberta Oil Magazine, Mar 2013)

Alberta’s government urged to preserve water (Edmonton Sun, Mar 2013)

Reclaiming abandoned well sites (Trathmore Stardard, Apr 2012)

Oilpatch lobbied hard before Ottawa’s decision to kill in situ reviews (iPolitics, May 2013)

No Delays, but at the Cost of the Environment? (Alberta Primetime, May 2013)

Bench Press 37-6: Water Woes (Law Now, Jul 2013)

Environment Canada to conduct an investigation into CNRL’s Cold Lake bitumen spill (Edmonton Journal, Sep 2013)

Conservationists say southern Alberta land-use plan lacks flood protection (Calgary Herald, Oct 2013)

2012

Oldman Watershed Council experiencing a financial shortfall (Prairie Post, Feb 2012)

Lawyer calls for better vehicle regulation in wild areas (Western Producer, Feb 2012)

CPAWS holds SSRP workshop at Cowley Community Hall (Pincher Creek Voice, May 2012)

Alberta energy bill criticized as ‘train wreck’ (Calgary Herald, Nov 2012)

Premier Redford says critics of energy regulation bill are ‘fearmongering’ (Calgary Herald, Nov 2012)

U of A takes crown in second Twitter moot (Canadian Lawyer, Nov 2012)

2011

Courts to decide on new powers for Alberta landowners (FFWD Weekly, Mar 2011)

2010

AUC opens up Heartland debate (St Albert Gazette, Jan 2010)

Syncrude in court for tailings pond incident (CTV, Mar 2010)

Water markets: The Alberta government will face a battle (rabble.ca, Mar 2010)

Feds ‘gut’ environmental assessments (St Albert Gazette, Apr 2010)

Environmental lawyer questions federal bill that amends Environmental Assessment Act (Peace River Record Gazette, Apr 2010)

Bill C-9, the omnibus budget bill (CBC’s The Current, May 2010)

Alberta’s Bill 50 electricity debate conveys wildly varying claims (Alberta Venture, June 2010)

Syncrude guilty on charges related to deaths of 1,600 ducks (Digital Journal, June 2010)

Breaking the Law: Syncrude (Vue Weekly podcast, Jul 2010)

Environmental fallout: What does Syncrude’s guilt in the deaths of 1600 ducks mean for environmental law? (Vue Weekly, Jul 2010)

Public often unaware of new gravel pit plans (Western Producer, Nov 2010)

2009

This land is our land, this land is our land: Critics say Bill 36 puts too much power over land-use decisions in hands of cabinet (Vue Weekly, May 2009)

Group finds fault with land use planning process (Edson Leader, May 2009)

Bill 36 – friend or foe? (Edson Leader, May 2009)

Alberta’s Changing Land-Use Planning System (Wildlands Advocate, Nov 2009)