AER Bulletin – New Alberta Environment and Parks Directive
On May 29, 2018, Alberta Environment and Parks (“AEP”) issued the Directive for the Assessment of Thermally-Mobilized Constituents in Groundwater for Thermal In Situ Operations.
The AER explained that:
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The directive applies to all thermal in situ operations holding an approval under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (“EPEA”).
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For new projects, a project assessment must be submitted at the time of application. Following approval, a groundwater monitoring program proposal must be developed and submitted to the AER.
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Applicants who currently have thermal in situ applications filed with the AER should consult their AER EPEA contact by June 30, 2018, for direction on how to amend their applications.
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For existing projects, an updated groundwater monitoring report must be submitted to the AER at the frequency specified in the project’s EPEA approval and outlined in the approval holder’s groundwater monitoring program proposal.
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Projects that are currently suspended must fulfill the requirements of section 9.2 of the directive before resuming operations. An updated groundwater monitoring report must be submitted to the AER within the approval holder’s next regularly scheduled reporting period.
For questions relating to section 1 of the directive, the AER suggests contacting AEP at AEP.WaterPolicy@gov.ab.ca. All other questions can be directed to the AER.
