Participant Involvement -- Directive 056: Energy Development Applications and Schedules

Prior to submitting an application for sour gas development, the ERCB requires that the company provide information to all parties whose rights may be directly and adversely affected so they can fully understand what is being proposed and what the potential impacts may be. The details of what is required and expected of the company are outlined in Section 2, of the ERCB's Directive 056:  Energy Development Applications and Schedules entitled "Participant Involvement".

The public is encouraged to participate in ongoing issue identification, problem solving, and planning with respect to local sour gas development. For more information see the ERCB's EnerFAQs No. 8: Proposed Oil and Gas Development: A Landowner's Guide.

Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

The ERCB Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) program is a voluntary option that assists parties with difficult negotiations about proposed energy activities.

The ERCB expects companies to identify parties that would potentially be affected by their proposed projects, notify them about the projects, and attempt to resolve any concerns they might have prior to submitting an application.

The ERCB ADR program is used when concerns and objections remain unresolved following negotiations between landowners and companies or between companies. The parties involved work collaboratively to reach mutually agreeable solutions. The process helps parties understand resolution options and processes that will assist them in developing a clear understanding of their concerns, issues, and interests and then in jointly defining resolution options.

The two main components of the ADR program are ERCB staff facilitation and third-party assistance for ADR professional service providers and mediators. ERCB staff assist parties in understanding regulatory requirements and facilitate meetings to discover mutually agreeable options. Staff facilitation usually occurs prior to a company submitting an application but after the company has tried to resolve the concerns of stakeholders.

Third-party professional service providers and mediators are used in more complex disputes, such as concerns about deadlines, disputes involving multiple parties, or difficulties engaging parties.

When concerns and objections are settled through the ADR process, there is no need for a public hearing.

See the section on ADR for more detailed information.

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ERCB Hearings

The ERCB ensures that everyone affected by energy development has a fair chance to be heard.

Certain energy development applications may create community concern and lead to an objection from a person or group who believe they may be directly and adversely affected by the proposed project. When the ERCB receives such an objection, and it cannot be resolved informally or though the Appropriate Dispute Resolution program, a hearing may be held to weigh the evidence presented and arrive at a decision that best balances the concerns of all stakeholders affected. The Board will dismiss objections to a particular application if the person or group does not appear to be directly or adversely affected by the proposed application.

ERCB hearings are open to the public. For more information on the hearing process, see EnerFAQs No. 2: Having Your Say at an ERCB Hearing or Directive 029: Energy and Utility Development Applications and the Hearing Process.

Public safety is the ERCB's number one priority

To maximize public safety in all areas of energy development, the ERCB and other provincial government departments and agencies dedicate significant resources to incident and complaint response.

The ERCB relies on the public's involvement in contacting the ERCB if there is a problem regarding energy development.  Field staff respond to emergencies and public complaints on a 24-hour basis.

The ERCB works to continually improve its complaint response procedures based on the feedback we receive. Ongoing improvements include a random complaint call-back program, which is used to determine if public concerns are being addressed in a timely and appropriate manner.

Getting More Information

A core function of the ERCB is to provide the public with information and knowledge related to energy development. The ERCB collects, stores, analyzes, and disseminates information as part of building a regulatory framework that is intended to inspire public confidence and provides service and support to those seeking information.

The ERCB also publishes the EnerFAQs series, a compilation of frequently asked questions dealing with key issues related to energy development in Alberta.

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Public Involvement Opportunities

Community-based and synergy groups are an effective way of dealing with public safety issues and concerns in specific areas of the province.

These groups are often made up of public, industry, and government members. The size, structure and membership of each group depends on factors such as a community's population, the type of production occurring (oil, sweet natural gas, sour gas, sour oil), industry activity levels, geographical location, and the environmental or land-use sensitivity of an area. ERCB field staff participate in many of these groups and strongly endorse this cooperative approach to improve stakeholder communication and to address local community and regional issues.

Information on synergy groups can be found on the Synergy Alberta Web site at http://www.synergyalberta.ca/.

Regulatory Change Report

The Regulatory Change Report is a one-stop source for industry and public to find out about the ERCB's regulatory initiatives. The goal of this report is to increase stakeholder awareness of regulatory change.

The Regulatory Change Report is designed to allow users to browse a summary of regulatory changes planned, in progress, open for comment, closed for comment and completed. The Regulatory Change Report is updated every Thursday.

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