CALGARY — Today's final decision by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to approve a coal plant expansion proposed by Maxim Power Corp. represents a serious failure by the AUC to safeguard the public interest that could undermine upcoming federal greenhouse gas regulations, according to two of Canada's leading environmental groups.
ELC News Brief Vol. 26 No. 2 is now available to view or download from the Environmental Law Centre website. The issue's theme is Alberta's South Saskatchewan region.
The Environmental Law Centre has made available the slides from their recent webinar "Nuclear Power Regulation in Alberta and Saskatchewan".
Are you wondering how nuclear power facilities are regulated in Canada? Are you confused about how provincial and federal environmental laws apply to nuclear power facilities?
Join Laura Bowman, Staff Counsel, for a discussion of how nuclear power facilities are regulated in Canada and how Alberta and Saskatchewan laws may be applied to nuclear power proposals.
This is a free webinar, funded by the Alberta and Saskatchewan Law Foundations.
As the consultation period on the Government of Alberta's proposed Lower Athabasca Regional Plan comes to a close— submissions are due June 6, 2011— AEN member groups have weighed in on the proposed plan, regulations, and frameworks.
In a recent op-ed, the Pembina Institute's Jennifer Grant states that:
…the current draft plan does more to defend the interests of oilsands developers than it does to protect the quality of Alberta's environment.
The Environmental Law Centre has posted their comments on Bill 10, the Alberta Land Stewardship Amendment Act. Download or view their brief on the ELC website.
While the ELC has consistently supported both the Land-use Framework and ALSA as necessary steps towards a strong integrated, binding land use planning system for Alberta, we have as consistently raised our concerns regarding the limited rights for public participation and appeal within this new system and the broad discretion given to government with little accountability. Bill 10 has not eased our concerns on these points.
On the Environmental Law Centre blog, Laura Bowman posts on the decline on native grasslands in Canada, and the threats posed to the species at risk in Alberta that rely on grassland habitats. Bowman identifies deficiencies in the recently posted Recovery Strategy for the Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii) in Canada:
Although most of the grasslands on which this bird depends are outside federal lands, only federal lands are identified as critical habitat in the recovery strategy.
Bowman concludes that:
Alberta urgently needs to make a clear commitment to protection of remaining native grasslands to prevent extirpation of grassland species. Instead, the Alberta Government continues to dispose of native grasslands for other uses.
Are you confused about how recent changes in Environmental Assessment law will affect your practice? Can we expect federal Environmental Assessments to be conducted differently now?
Join Laura Bowman, Staff Counsel at the Environmental Law Centre of Alberta on April 19th to find out what changes have been made in the last year and how they will impact the federal environmental assessment process.
