Environment
“A Witch’s Brew of Methane, Hydrogen Sulphide, and Liquid Hydrocarbon…
Alberta’s worst-ever well blowout was capped 35 years ago this week
On a chilly December 23, 1982, teams from Texas-based Boots… Read more
Why We Give a Dam
How much do you know about the dams used in energy development?
Whether for canoeing or kayaking, ice fishing or paddle boarding, Albertans everywhere flock to the lake year-round for outdoor fitness and fun. What some don’t know is that we owe many of these beaut… Read more
Clearing the Air
Partners respond to report recommendations to improve air quality for…
Flying towards Fort McKay over the dense mass of trees, your eye can’t help but follow the curving Athabasca River and dart around complex oil sands operations before getting caught on something unexp… Read more
First Tailings Pond Reclaimed
What was once a tailings pond is now a scenic lookout
Fifty years after its opening, Alberta’s first oil sands tailings pond is now the province’s first reclaimed tailings pond—a big deal for a big parcel of land. The 220-hectare site has gone from an in… Read more
Assessing the Impact
EIAs play an important role in how the AER protects the environment
The environment is a hot topic (and that’s not just a global warming pun). Canadians care deeply about how oil and gas development will affect the environment and their safety, and rightly so. However… Read more
When Everyone Wins
Cleaning spills quicker benefits all concerned, including those respon…
It's rare that a change can benefit everyone, but when it happens, it leaves one wondering why the change took so long in the first place. The creation of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) was one su… Read more
Don’t Go with the Flow
AER report shows how the energy industry uses water
You turn the tap on to cook a pot of spaghetti or run a hot shower, often without thinking about the amount of water you’ve just used. But if you tracked how much water you used every time you ran the… Read more
Why Did the Fish Cross the Road?
How the AER is helping to protect fish species in Alberta’s foothills
Warm summer days bring smiles to the faces of fishermen eager to cast their flies and lures into Alberta’s many waterways. However, some fish species are being threatened because their habitat is frag… Read more
Coal Mining Company Penalized
Prairie Mines pleads guilty to Obed Mine spill charges
The coal mining company responsible for contaminating a northern Alberta river system has received one of the largest penalties for a single release in Alberta history under the Environmental Protecti… Read more
Every Drop Counts
AER launches industry water-use report to drive performance
You may be surprised to learn that the energy industry used just over two per cent of all water that was allocated across all industries in Alberta last year. Nonetheless, when it comes to water, ever… Read more
