First Nations in northern Alberta have filed an appeal against the Alberta Energy Regulator after it issued sweeping decisions last month to suspend a number of environmental monitoring requirements across the oil and gas industry. "Consultation would have enabled us to inform the regulator how its monitoring decisions impact our Nations." The suspensions, granted at a time when the province was beginning to loosen public health orders, do not specify which orders cannot be followed or why. The appeal argues there is nothing in the orders that would require a blanket prohibition on monitoring activities. The decision also suspended soil and groundwater monitoring until Sept. 30, except for "any monitoring that is necessary to protect human health and ecological receptors."

Source: CBC News June 08, 2020 14:00 UTC