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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

ERCB ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO COURT OF APPEAL RULING
Board fixes error and implements changes; lifts suspension on sour oil and gas licensing

Calgary, Alberta (November 13, 2009) The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) has announced that it has corrected its own error regarding emergency response modelling parameters, following its review of a recent Alberta Court of Appeal ruling. As a result of this correction, the ERCB is immediately lifting the temporary suspension on issuing licences for sour oil and gas wells, pipelines, and facilities that it announced on November 3, 2009.

On October 28, 2009, in its decision in the matter of Kelly et al v. ERCB and Grizzly Resources Ltd., the Court determined that residents within a Protective Action Zone (PAZ) could be directly and adversely affected by applications to which a PAZ relates. The Court also stated that applicants must include these residents in their participant involvement programs.

“The ERCB thanks the Court for its direction on this matter, and apologizes for any confusion or concern our error may have caused,” said ERCB Chairman Dan McFadyen. “We also want to assure all parties that despite this error – and its subsequent correction – public safety has been in no way lessened or compromised at any time. The ERCB still has the most stringent sour oil and gas regulations in the world.”

To correct the error, the ERCB changed the endpoints used to calculate PAZs. Previously, PAZs were erroneously calculated to be larger than Emergency Planning Zones (EPZs). The ERCB model used to calculate EPZs is the most scientifically advanced emergency planning model available. It was never intended, nor was it necessary, for any PAZ to exceed the size of a corresponding EPZ.

The ERCB will issue errata to Directive 071: Emergency Preparedness and Response Requirements for the Petroleum Industry and Directive 056: Energy Development Applications and Schedules to reflect this correction. The ERCB has also released Bulletin 2009-41, which outlines revisions to its requirements and process regarding applications for sour oil and gas development.

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This news release, backgrounder, Bulletin 2009-41, Directive 056, and Directive 071 are online at www.ercb.ca.

For more information, please contact:
Bob Curran
ERCB Communications
Ph: 403-297-3392
Email: bob.curran@ercb.ca

NR 2009-29
 

Link to Backgrounder [PDF file]