Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development

Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
Agency overview
Jurisdiction Province of Alberta
Agency executives
Parent agency Executive Council of Alberta
Child agencies
Website Official ESRD Website

Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) is the Alberta provincial ministry of the Executive Council of Alberta responsible for environmental policy and sustainable resource development.

Ministers

In 2014 the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development is Kyle Fawcett of Calgary-Klein.

Acts

"The purpose of this Act is to provide for an impartial process to review projects that will or may affect the natural resources of Alberta in order to determine whether, in the Board’s opinion, projects are in the public interest, having regard to the social and economic effects of the projects and the effect of the projects on the

environment."

— Government of Alberta 2000, 2013

Natural resource refers to "the subsurface, land surface, water, fauna and flora resources of Alberta, but does not include an energy resource as defined in the Responsible Energy Development Act." Environmental impact assessment (EIS) reports are ordered under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. Industrial mineral projects are defined in the Mines and Minerals Act.[1]

Agencies

ESRD as a ministry of the Government of Alberta, consists of Alberta Recycling Management Authority, Alberta Used Oil Management Association, Beverage Container Management Board, Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund, Environmental Appeals Board, [Environmental Protection and Enhancement Fund], Land Compensation Board, [Land Stewardship Fund], Land Use Secretariat, Natural Resources Conservation Board, Surface Rights Board.[6]

Alberta Recycling Management Authority

The Alberta Recycling Management Authority, established in 1992, a not-for-profit association that manages Alberta's recycling program which includes recycling of tires, paints and electronics. Alberta Recycling Management Authority reports to the Minister of Alberta Environment.[7]

Alberta Used Oil Management Association

Alberta Used Oil Management Association (AUOMA) manages the "Alberta province-wide Recycling Program for Used Oil, Used Oil Filters and Plastic Oil Containers."[8]

Beverage Container Management Board

Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB), a not-for-profit association, was established in 1997 under the Beverage Container Recycling Regulation section of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.[9]

The Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund

Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation (CCEMC) established in 2009 by the Province of Alberta, is an independent organization that establishes or participates in "funding initiatives that reduce GHG emissions or improve our ability to adapt to climate change."[10]

In April 2007, Alberta became the first jurisdiction in North America to pass climate-change legislation requiring large emitters to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation (CCEMC) was created in 2009 to be a key part of Alberta’s climate change strategy and movement toward a stronger and more diverse lower-carbon economy.[11]
— CCEMC

CCEMC is aligned with and builds on Alberta's 2008 Climate Change Strategy and Carbon Capture and Storage Development Council, and "seeks to complement decisions made on large carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects."[10]

In December 2014 Environment Minister Kyle Fawcett attended the 2014 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru where conference delegates held negotiations towards a global climate agreement with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) as the overarching goal.[12] In line with this, Fawcett described how his key goal was to build networks with other "sub-national jurisdictions", Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia and California — to potentially work on new agreements on carbon offset — across provincial and national borders as part of the province's climate change framework.[13]

Environmental Protection and Enhancement Fund

The Environmental Protection Security Fund operates under the Environment Protection and Enhancement Act.[14] The Environmental Protection Security Fund collects for activities such as "coal and oil sands, mining operations, landfills, hazardous waste, recyclable projects, quarry activities, waste management facilities, sand and gravel operations and metal production plants",[14] and holds security deposits to "assure satisfactory land reclamation will be carried out according to the Environment Protection and Enhancement Act." When reclamation is completed partial refunds or credits may be made.[14] Alberta's Treasurer administers the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Fund as part of the Consolidated Cash Investment Trust Fund.[14] By March 2012 Fund total cash deposits (with interest), bonds and guarantees were $1,314,392,292 and by March 2013 they were $1,503,038,440.[14]

According to the ESRD 2012-2013 report, by 31 March 2014, the only activities that had contributed only in guarantees with no cash or securities collected were those engaged in oil sands development. For example, the Fund had collected $11,647,586.67 in cash and $340,836,116 in guarantees from companies engaged in coal development activities and no cash but $967,585,501.63 in guarantees from companies engaged in oil sands development activities.[15]

Land Stewardship Fund

The Alberta Land Stewardship Fund, established in 2010 under the Alberta Land Stewardship Act, and the Alberta Land Trust Grant Program "focuses on conserving ecologically important areas to prevent habitat fragmentation, maintain biodiversity and preserve native landscapes."[16]

Natural Resources Conservation Board

The Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB), an arms-length agency of the Government of Alberta that reports to Alberta Environment, was established in 1991 under the Natural Resources Conservation Board Act (NRCBA). The NRBC reviews "proposed non-energy natural resource projects."[17]

Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD), AER and ERCB

In March 2014 the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)[18] became the single regulator for energy development in Alberta taking over enforcement of environmental laws and issues including environmental and water permits for energy developments, formerly responsibilities of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.[19] Prior to the establishment of the AER, an arms-length corporation, Alberta Environment and the now-defunct Energy Resources Conservation Board conducted investigations separately, but, with the creation of a single regulatory body for energy developments, the Alberta Energy Regulator now conducts investigations and inspections to ensure compliance with all regulatory, environmental, and safety requirements.[20]

Related agencies

ESRD played a significant role in the development of Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (AITF) which brings together academics, governments and industry to foster innovation.[21] The AITF is a government research agency established in 2010 as a "Provincial Corporation operating under the authority of the Alberta Research and Innovation Act. AITF supports research and innovation activities targeting the development and growth of technology-based sectors in alignment with Government of Alberta priorities."[21] The AITF, the Royal Alberta Museum, the University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary jointly run the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI).[22] ESRD consults ABMI reports in regards to enforcement of environmental laws. Data and information on air, water, biodiversity and toxicology used in Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) report[23][24] was "partially funded through the Joint Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM) program, a joint federal-provincial environmental monitoring program established in 2012." The CEO is Stephen Lougheed.

Fish and Wildlife Division

Fish and Wildlife Division includes a number of departments, including Fish & Wildlife Fisheries Management. Fisheries Management alone had a budget of $6.4 million to be used over three years to "help restore flood-affected fisheries and aquatic habitats in southern Alberta."[25] Alberta Fisheries Management Round Table, Alberta’s Fish Conservation Strategy, Commercial fishing in Alberta, Fish management plans and Fish Management Zones and area fisheries management Fisheries Management operate under Fisheries Management.[25]

Boreal woodland caribou recovery

ESRD work in collaboration with the Aseniwuche Nation, the Foothills Landscape Management Forum (FLMF), and the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk on projects such as caribou monitoring.[26] Dave Hervieux, Regional Resource Manager, Peace Region, is the woodland caribou management coordinator with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development's fish and wildlife division.[26] "Alberta Environment estimates that the province’s caribou population has declined by nearly two thirds since the 1960s, including the extinction of herds roaming Alberta’s southern slopes. Sixteen herds remain in the province, totaling roughly 3,000 animals."[26]

According to the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI), an agency that monitors and reports on biodiversity status throughout the province, by 2014 all six herds of caribou including the threatened boreal and the endangered mountain caribou "have suffered annual rates of decline ranging from 4.6% to 15.2% from 1993 to 2012" in the oil sands region (OSR) as oil and gas production booms in northern Alberta. As these herds in the oil-sands region are "genetically distinct" from other boreal caribou populations, the ABMI report concludes that, "It is therefore unlikely that populations in the (region) will gain new members from caribou populations in other parts of the province." In a Wall Street Journal article Dawson observed that, "The report comes amid controversy over Alberta's recent sales of oil and gas development leases in areas populated by both boreal and mountain caribou."[27]

Alberta Environment and Kananaskis Country Golf Course flood damage

On 16 July 2014 the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development finalized and signed an agreement with Kan-Alta Golf Management Ltd., a company with alleged connections the provincial government to rebuild the Kananaskis Country Golf Course, as a result of the 2013 Alberta floods damage. The deal "resulted in over $5.4 million" paid to Kan-Alta Golf "to cover business losses and other expenses."[28] During the June 2013 Alberta floods, Kananaskis Country "sustained the most extensive damage in its 36-year history."[29] and 32 of the 36 holes at the Golf Course were damaged.[29] The Kananaskis Country Golf Course was built by the Alberta Government in 1983 as part of economic diversification using money from the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund. In 2011 the facility showed a province wide net economic impact of $14 million, 175 full-time equivalent jobs sustained province wide, a total of $4.4 million federal and $1.9 million provincial and $800,000 local taxes generated.[29] The Alberta government committed $18 million to rebuild the Course and to protect it from future flood damage.[29]

Citations

  1. 1 2 "Natural Resources Conservation Board Act Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000 Chapter N-3" (PDF), Alberta Queen’s Printer, Edmonton, Alberta, 17 June 2013, retrieved 4 January 2014
  2. ↑ Queen's Printer 2013a.
  3. ↑ Wingrove 2011.
  4. ↑ Queen's Printer 2014.
  5. ↑ Queen's Printer 2011.
  6. ↑ ESRD 2014.
  7. ↑ http://www.albertarecycling.ca/about-us
  8. ↑ AUOMA 2014.
  9. ↑ http://www.bcmb.ab.ca/about-bcmb/
  10. 1 2 http://ccemc.ca/about/#sthash.jwzd7EKU.dpuf
  11. ↑ http://ccemc.ca/about/
  12. ↑ "Schedule of Events" (PDF). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  13. ↑ Wood, James (3 January 2015), "Alberta looks beyond borders for climate change partners", Calgary Herald, Calgary, Alberta, retrieved 3 January 2015
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 ESRD 2014a, p. 3.
  15. ↑ ESRD 2014a, p. 6.
  16. ↑ ESRD 2014c.
  17. ↑ https://www.nrcb.ca/AboutUs/Whatwedo.aspx
  18. ↑ AER 2013.
  19. ↑ Pratt 2013.
  20. ↑ AER nd.
  21. 1 2 Alberta Innovates (AITF) 2014.
  22. ↑ Stadt, Schieck & Stelfox 2006.
  23. ↑ Pratt 2014.
  24. ↑ Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) 2014.
  25. 1 2 "Fisheries Management Budget 2014", ESRD, retrieved 4 January 2015
  26. 1 2 3 Plummer 2012.
  27. ↑ Dawson 2014.
  28. ↑ McClure, Matt (5 April 2015), "Taxpayers hit with double-bogey for flood-damaged golf course", Calgary Herald, retrieved 13 April 2015
  29. 1 2 3 4 "Work progresses on Kananaskis Country flood recovery", Alberta Government, 18 July 2014, retrieved 14 April 2015

References

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