Oil Sands
Over the last decade, rapid expansion of the oil sands industry has led to unprecedented
growth in Alberta. During this time, oil sands production quadrupled to reach more
than one million barrels per day, with continued growth anticipated to reach three
million barrels per day by 2015.
Radke Report and Management of Oil Sands Development
The oil sands boom has placed increasing pressures and strain on the province. In
2006, under the direction of Cabinet, the Oil Sands Ministerial Strategy Committee
commissioned the report “Investing in our Future: Responding to the Rapid Growth
of Oil Sands Development”. Known as the Radke Report, this document provides recommendations
to better manage oil sands development.
The Radke Report recommended a number of improvements to infrastructure, health
care and transportation in the oil sands areas. The report also looked into the
environmental and resource management consequences of oil sands growth. It found
that Alberta Environment (AENV) and Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD)
needed more resources to meet the increasing pressures and demands. In the spring
of 2007, the Government of Alberta responded, and both SRD and AENV created new
departmental sectors to meet the needs of oil sands environmental management.
SRD Oil Sands Branch
The Oil Sands Branch of SRD manages departmental participation in the Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) and coordinated approvals processes, in accordance with
the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.
SRD's involvement in these processes focuses on public land and provincial resources
such as forests, fish and wildlife. The Oil Sands Branch is also engaged in:
- biodiversity and reclamation planning projects for oil sands areas
- cumulative effects projects for all oil sands areas
- oil sands monitoring and compliance initiatives
Contact
For more information about the Oil Sands Branch, contact:
Map of Oil Sands Projects
To view a map of Alberta’s oil sands projects, see:
Posted: October 20, 2009