Alberta’s Energy Resources Conservation Board talks tough

Policing the petroleum industry ramps up as federal and provincial leaders in Canada talk about a clean energy platform

By Gordon Jaremko

May 01, 2009

The economic slump, on top of long-standing provincial protests against federal interference with local or regional industry, heightens desire everywhere for an efficient regulatory system, Prentice says. “Even before we [Conservatives] came to office, there was a lot of criticism. The provincial premiers argue almost without exception that the process over-reaches legitimate federal interests, is duplicative of their governments’ processes and introduces unnecessary delays to project approvals.”

Discussions are underway across Canada on co-operating to “streamline” environmental assessments, Prentice reports. The effort covers all types of projects. The objective is to remove unnecessary obstacles against industrial development as well as federally and provincially sponsored public works projects launched to counter unemployment, he says.

But streamlining Ottawa’s role in policing the water, land and air does not mean abolishing it, Prentice says. “On larger projects with significant consequences, there needs to be a fulsome environmental process.” As examples, he points to oil sands mega-mines such as Imperial Oil’s Kearl development and drilling programs like the Suffield proposal that affect national natural treasures.

But where should the line be drawn? What environmental effects deserve national attention? When should Ottawa back off and leave decisions in the hands of provincial or local authorities?
Prentice is a long way from having the answers yet. “Many are saying the federal process needs to be focused on larger projects with interprovincial implications. This is something we’re wrestling with in the federal government.”

Similar groping is beginning on an international scale in the clean energy dialogue launched by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama after their Ottawa meeting. “It’s fair to say what we have signaled is willingness to work with the new American administration for a North American approach on climate change,” Prentice says.

“This is happening in the context of shared interest in the largest integrated private sector energy marketplace in the world. We share the largest market-based flows of energy, with Canada as the largest supplier of natural gas, oil, coal, uranium and hydroelectricity.”

Prentice views the new U.S. regime as “not dogmatic people. We see ourselves as sitting across the table from our neighbors and very shrewd participants in this energy marketplace.”

Obama has a declared objective to reduce U.S. dependence on offshore oil. Alberta, including Calgarians Harper and Prentice, is no less determined to protect its status as a reliable alternative supplier to the Middle East and Latin America.

“The prospects of our working together and being successful are very good,” Prentice predicts. Apart from differences on details of numbers and methods, he says Ottawa and the changed Washington have “very similar” targets for cutting carbon emissions blamed for global climate change.

The Canadian environment minister listens carefully to Obama rather than emotionally charged publicity by U.S. green non-governmental organizations that attempt to put words into the president’s mouth. Prentice says, “His principles are virtually identical to the ones we have espoused as a government. I’m personally hopeful about the extent to which we can reach a consensus.”

There are precedents for working together with the U.S. on environmental cleanups, the veteran lawyer-politician points out. “We share the same airshed. We share the same watersheds. This is the 100th anniversary of our boundary waters International Joint Commission. We have an acid rain treaty.” A Canada-U.S. carbon emissions control pact should come naturally.

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