Abstract
This paper provides a detailed review of the current provincial legislative and regulatory framework for oil sands development in Alberta. It does so by moving through the three key stages in the current process - the disposition of rights to develop oil sands; the disposition of rights to access the surface of public land; and the oil sands project review and approval stage. The paper identifies key issues and problem areas that arise at each stage. Many of these issues relate to the lack of clarity, certainty and transparency with respect to certain key decision-making points in the current development process.
Refereed
No
Sponsorship
This paper was prepared as part of a research project on key legal and policy issues in oil sands development funded by the Alberta Law Foundation.
