The Legislative and Regulatory Framework for Oil Sands Development in Alberta: A Detailed Review and Analysis

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.