Observers are criticizing Alberta's suggestions on how the province might clean up its thousands of abandoned oil wells, saying they favour industry and lack input from the public.
WATCH ABOVE : Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is telling her energy minister to focus on oil well cleanup . She wants Brian Jean to look into incentives for oil companies to clean old oil wells and she wants that plan to respect the polluter pay principle. Some aren't sure that's possible. Saif Kaisar explains.
In an interview, Jean suggested that although it’s not his preferred solution, some form of public assistance may be needed to clean up the mess despite industry’s legal obligations. He also suggested municipalities may have to take a haircut on their tax levies and that industry’s regulatory burden may need to be lightened.But Olszynski said many energy companies are thriving. Any kind of a publicly financed bailout would raise serious questions, Olszynski said.
“This narrative that municipal taxes is what’s going to save the industry is a completely ridiculous notion,” he said. Opposition New Democrat energy critic Nagwan Al-Guneid said reducing environmental liabilities for energy companies with public resources amounts to breaking the law.
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