A “SUPER” Regulator for Oil and Gas- What does that Mean?
On Friday, in the sweet bosom of a meeting of Oil executives, Alison Redford announced that in the fall of 2012 the government would bring in legislation to create a “super regulatory body” to replace the present regulators for oil and gas development.
So what does this mean? Is this a good move for Albertans……or a sweetheart deal for the oil & gas companies?
In 2011, the Alberta government held a series of “Competitive Regulatory Review workshops” designed to get “public input” into improving the regulatory frame work for oil & gas development.
Diana McQueen was named chair (how come Diana gets all these crumby jobs….must be her sweet nature?) and Calvin Dallas was named co-chair. Diana McQueen requested that "Alberta Surface Rights Group" be included in these workshops (I guess we were the token peasants or something!) and we accepted, knowing in advance it was basically little more than a whitewash for whatever the government and CAPP(Canadian association of Petroleum Producers) had already decided!
The process was some oil company boy got up and gave a little talk on how onerous and burdensome a government regulation was in some portion of production and then we broke up into predetermined groups to discuss solutions and come back with recommendations.
Sounds good, right? In my group were thirty people…….all working for oil companies or government….and me, the token peasant……and one token Indian from up by Fort Mac!
So me and the native guy are yapping away whenever we get a chance…..which wasn’t often because the government “facilitator” cut us off as much as she could! After about ½ hour she calls it to an end and writes our “consensus recommendation” down to take back to the main group. Our “consensus” was exactly what CAPP had recommended…….and so was every other group that reported!
At the end of the day Vice Chair Calvin Dallas gives the conclusion speech……..guess what it was?
Yep……we need a “super regulator” that will see Environment and Sustainable Resources come under the control of the Energy minister (Ron Liepert, at the time…..now Ted Morton)! The new “super regulator” would basically be the ERCB……although maybe a name change might be in order…….because the ERCB was a thoroughly discredited government bureaucracy out in the country side and the Indian reserves! Maybe they should just cut out a lot of the BS and name CAPP as the new “Super Regulator”? Probably save a lot of time and allow us to get rid of most of the deadwood over at the ERCB?
So what does this new “Super Regulator” mean for you, the average landowner? No one knows, but there are some likely scenarios:
When the oil & gas land man comes calling and makes you an offer…….that will be the price you’ll get…..no negotiations…..a right of entry order will be in his other pocket! There won’t be any ERCB hearings or Surface Rights Board hearings, unless you want to pay $50,000……..and then you will never win! Of course you can always kick it up to the courts (after you pay the $50,000) and you will get another chance……. to pay a lot more money! After the well has been drilled or the pipeline built the reclamation will be pretty well whatever the Oil & Gas company decides they want to do…….if you don’t think it is good enough…….you can ask for another hearing…….at the ERCB “Super Board”……..and make sure you bring your checkbook or cash…….credit cards not accepted!
Now I hope this isn’t how things will play out…….but I suspect that is how it probably will?
CAPP was almost peeing their pants in glee at the Competitive Regulatory Review Workshops…..their sweetest dreams were about to come true!
ASRG
On Friday, in the sweet bosom of a meeting of Oil executives, Alison Redford announced that in the fall of 2012 the government would bring in legislation to create a “super regulatory body” to replace the present regulators for oil and gas development.
So what does this mean? Is this a good move for Albertans……or a sweetheart deal for the oil & gas companies?
In 2011, the Alberta government held a series of “Competitive Regulatory Review workshops” designed to get “public input” into improving the regulatory frame work for oil & gas development.
Diana McQueen was named chair (how come Diana gets all these crumby jobs….must be her sweet nature?) and Calvin Dallas was named co-chair. Diana McQueen requested that "Alberta Surface Rights Group" be included in these workshops (I guess we were the token peasants or something!) and we accepted, knowing in advance it was basically little more than a whitewash for whatever the government and CAPP(Canadian association of Petroleum Producers) had already decided!
The process was some oil company boy got up and gave a little talk on how onerous and burdensome a government regulation was in some portion of production and then we broke up into predetermined groups to discuss solutions and come back with recommendations.
Sounds good, right? In my group were thirty people…….all working for oil companies or government….and me, the token peasant……and one token Indian from up by Fort Mac!
So me and the native guy are yapping away whenever we get a chance…..which wasn’t often because the government “facilitator” cut us off as much as she could! After about ½ hour she calls it to an end and writes our “consensus recommendation” down to take back to the main group. Our “consensus” was exactly what CAPP had recommended…….and so was every other group that reported!
At the end of the day Vice Chair Calvin Dallas gives the conclusion speech……..guess what it was?
Yep……we need a “super regulator” that will see Environment and Sustainable Resources come under the control of the Energy minister (Ron Liepert, at the time…..now Ted Morton)! The new “super regulator” would basically be the ERCB……although maybe a name change might be in order…….because the ERCB was a thoroughly discredited government bureaucracy out in the country side and the Indian reserves! Maybe they should just cut out a lot of the BS and name CAPP as the new “Super Regulator”? Probably save a lot of time and allow us to get rid of most of the deadwood over at the ERCB?
So what does this new “Super Regulator” mean for you, the average landowner? No one knows, but there are some likely scenarios:
When the oil & gas land man comes calling and makes you an offer…….that will be the price you’ll get…..no negotiations…..a right of entry order will be in his other pocket! There won’t be any ERCB hearings or Surface Rights Board hearings, unless you want to pay $50,000……..and then you will never win! Of course you can always kick it up to the courts (after you pay the $50,000) and you will get another chance……. to pay a lot more money! After the well has been drilled or the pipeline built the reclamation will be pretty well whatever the Oil & Gas company decides they want to do…….if you don’t think it is good enough…….you can ask for another hearing…….at the ERCB “Super Board”……..and make sure you bring your checkbook or cash…….credit cards not accepted!
Now I hope this isn’t how things will play out…….but I suspect that is how it probably will?
CAPP was almost peeing their pants in glee at the Competitive Regulatory Review Workshops…..their sweetest dreams were about to come true!
ASRG
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