Environment: Government sidelines oil and gas industry regulation



The federal government has been procrastinating in creating regulatory standards for the oil and natural gas industry.

If the government continues to exhibit this pattern of apathy, it could mean devastating effects for the environment, as well as an inability to meet a promise the government made to lower greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, to lower levels than the emission levels which existed in 2005.

The Harper government had previously received criticism from federal NDP environment critic Megan Leslie. She accused the government of missing earlier set deadlines for regulating by 2012 oil and gas emissions.

Upon missing that deadline, Environment Minister Peter Kent said this past March that the regulations would be finished by ‘mid-year.‘

Megan Leslie was not surprised by the government’s recent failure to deliver on their promise, telling the CBC on July 3rd she did not think the government cared to make it a priority.

"Truthfully, I didn't expect very much from this minister when it comes to oil and gas reg[ulations].I think there is inaction on this file because they don't care about it, said Leslie.”

Leslie also worries the government is setting a tone of inaction on emissions standards, one which will continue into 2020, the year in which government had said emissions standards would see a decrease of 17%.

Leslie also noted the rapid pace at which the oil and gas industry is growing, and cited this as an imperative reason to make regulation a priority.

"I don't know how they are going to pull the rabbit out of the hat on this one, but this is the sector that is growing the fastest. This is the sector that is most important when it comes to meeting our emissions [targets]," Leslie said in a statement to the CBC July 3rd.

Despite obvious concern from critics, the response of government representatives has been less than enthusiastic.  Upon probing from a CBC reporter, a representative for the Environment Minister simply stated that: “the regulations will be announced in due course.”

Not exactly the proactive, concerned response environmentalists may have been looking for.

With the existence of the oil sands, it becomes imperative for environmental checks to be kept up-to-date to ensure the health and viability of the land, as well as the health of the inhabitants living near it.


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