Oil and gas activity can have a wide range of impacts on natural ecosystems, from the initial exploration stage, through development, production and decommissioning of infrastructure.

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Prairie Bluff, Castle (N. Douglas)

Moose Mountain well, Kananaskis (N. Douglas)
According to Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, oil and gas well reclamation is progressing at a much slower rate than well abandonment. This is resulting in a buildup of uncertified wells. On average, between 2002 and 2011, 14,227 wells were drilled per year, 4,111 were abandoned and 1,682 certified. This indicates that over the last 10 years, the certification rate has been approximately 40.9 per cent of the abandonment rate (Oil and Gas Reclamation, Alberta ESRD, March 2012)
Position
Alberta Wilderness Association believes that hydrocarbon exploration and development should be regulated in a manner that is consistent with the maintenance of wilderness values. There is a fundamental need for the maintenance of wilderness that is free of industrial incursion. Outside of such areas, exploration and development must be conducted in an environmentally responsible manner.
2020
In February, AWA learned that Alberta-based Seven Generations Energy was the first Canadian natural gas producer to receive Equitable Origins’ (EO) certification to the EO100 standard. AWA has since engaged with Equitable Origins certifiers to support a sound application of the biodiversity provisions of their oil and gas certification, which we believe could help improve energy industry land-use practices. Since June, AWA has engaged directly with Seven Generations Energy around biodiversity concerns and opportunities in its Kakwa region lease holdings.
In early April, AWA voiced concerns about Alberta’s March 31 decision to suspend most energy industry environmental compliance reporting requirements. We were unconvinced that this was a pandemic safety-related measure since all data gathering and record-keeping requirements remained. We joined First Nations and other ENGOs in raising concerns when Alberta further suspended most environmental monitoring requirements in late April and early May; this occurred at a time when other economic activities were re-opening with pandemic safety measures in place. Although reporting and monitoring resumed in July 2020, AWA remains concerned about the interruption of compliance reporting and loss of data collection without transparent justification.
October 10, 2014
AWA News Release: Alberta Oil-Gas-Oilsands Footprint Grows in Endangered Caribou Habitat Despite Viable Alternatives
An area the size of Prince Edward Island (over 560,000 hectares) has been auctioned for…
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• Caribou
• Little Smoky
• News Release
• Oil and Gas
• Oil Sands
October 8, 2014
AWA Letter to Premier re: Lease Sales in Milk River Ridge HR
Letter sent by AWA to Premier Jim Prentice regarding the proposed establishment via the SSRP…
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• Grasslands
• LUF
• Milk River Ridge
• Oil and Gas
• Protected Areas
December 17, 2013
Alberta’s New Energy Regulator and Pipeline Breaches: Will We See Better Disclosure?
Wild Lands Advocate update, October 2013, by Sean Nichols. The information regarding a pipeline spill…
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• Hay-Zama
• Oil and Gas
• Pipelines
• WLA Archive
December 5, 2013
New Roads, Cutblocks and Wells Undermine Little Smoky Caribou Critical Habitat
Significant new disturbance within caribou ranges in west central Alberta is destroying federally protected critical…
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• Boreal Forest
• Caribou
• Little Smoky
• Oil and Gas
July 25, 2013
Energy Industry Disturbances and Leases in Little Smoky Caribou and A La Peche Caribou Ranges: A Step in the Right Direction
Wild Lands Advocate update, April/May 2013, by Carolyn Campbell. New mineral rights leasing in Little…
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• Caribou
• Little Smoky
• Oil and Gas
• WLA Archive
July 11, 2013
AWA News Release: Alberta Defers Logging in Ranges of Threatened Woodland Caribou
AWA news release. Following up on their May decision to defer the sale of mineral…
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• Boreal Forest
• Caribou
• Little Smoky
• Oil and Gas
June 13, 2013
Zama City Pipeline Spill Raises Questions about Disclosure
The recent pipeline spill of over 9.5 million litres of industrial waste water north of…
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• Hay-Zama
• Oil and Gas
• Pipelines
May 24, 2013
AWA Wilderness & Wildlife Defenders: Thanks and Next Steps Needed for Little Smoky Caribou
AWA Wilderness & Wildlife Defenders. You have made a difference! In early May, the Alberta…
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• Action Alerts
• Caribou
• Little Smoky
• Oil and Gas
May 7, 2013
AWA’s Letter to Alberta Energy Minister: Thanks and Next Steps
AWA’s letter to Alberta Energy Minister Hughes thanking the Alberta government for deferring new mineral…
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• Caribou
• Little Smoky
• Oil and Gas
May 3, 2013
AWA News Release: Alberta Defers New Energy Leasing in Two Caribou Herd Ranges
For the first time, Alberta is deferring the sale of new mineral rights across the…
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• Caribou
• Little Smoky
• Oil and Gas
May 2, 2013
AB Energy Minister Defers Issuing New Mineral Rights in Two Caribou Ranges
In a May 2, 2013 letter to Alberta Wilderness Association, Alberta Energy Minster Ken Hughes…
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• Caribou
• Little Smoky
• Oil and Gas
April 24, 2013
AWA News Release: Alberta Again Violates Caribou Policies With Today’s Energy Leasing
Today the Alberta government will once again violate its own caribou policy and the federal…
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• Caribou
• Little Smoky
• Oil and Gas