Issues Along the Way

Common issues brought up for any industry, and particularly the oil and gas industry, are safety, environmental protection, and sustainable development. Concerns often mentioned are about land and wildlife, water and air pollution, and waste. The issues usually looked at in emergency response planning are related to hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, flaring, venting, incineration, blowouts, explosive potential, high pressures, and spills.

Government jurisdictions set strict regulations that the oil and gas industry must follow for all these issues. Preparing emergency response plans is one of those regulations. For more details about these issues, you could visit the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB), which provides the following documents that discuss some of the concerns mentioned above:

• EnerFAQ 3: Inspections and Enforcement of Energy Developments in Alberta
• EnerFAQ 4: All About Critical Sour Wells
• EnerFAQ 6: Flaring and Incineration
• EnerFAQ 8: Proposed Oil and Gas Development: A Landowner's Guide
• Guide 38A: What You Should Know About Energy Industry Noise (2000)