A large tailings pond in the Alberta Oilsands. Tailings ponds are used to separate the heavy oil bitumen from the sticky sand mined from around the area.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, KEEPERS OF THE WATER, ALBERTA WILDRNESS ASSOCIATION
Joint statement on the appointment of Rob Morgan as CEO of the Alberta Energy Regulator
Treaty 8 Territory | Alberta – The appointment of Rob Morgan, former CEO of Strathcona Resources, as the new head of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), completely undermines the credibility of Alberta’s regulatory body tasked with protecting our lands, waters, and communities from the harms of fossil fuel extraction. The regulator can only be effective if it is independent from the industries it oversees.
“Placing a former oil executive in charge of regulating the oil and gas industry is like asking the fox to guard the henhouse – an illusion of oversight designed to pacify the public while industry continues unchecked,” said Gerry Cheezie of Keepers of the Water Board.
The AER has consistently failed to fulfill its mandate to ensure safe, environmentally responsible energy development. Recent research shows that 97% of tailings spills between 2014-2023 went uninspected, despite AER claims of routine inspections. The AER’s lack of transparency, minimal accountability, and preferential treatment of the oil and gas industry have allowed operators like Imperial Oil and Suncor to avoid meaningful consequences for the environmental harm they caused. Additionally, the AER has refused to investigate the risks of major projects like the Pathways Alliance’s carbon capture plan, undermining public trust, while endangering ecosystems and Indigenous communities.
This disappointing appointment was however predictable given that the CEO is selected by the AER’s board of directors, all of whom have worked in the oil and gas industry. At the same time, Alberta’s Premier has stated her desire to increase Alberta’s oil and gas production, despite growing evidence that Alberta’s watersheds are suffering from the cumulative impacts of industrial pollution and climate change.
“Appointing the former CEO of an oil and gas company to the head role at Alberta’s energy regulator should be seen as an obvious conflict of interest,” said Phillip Meintzer, conservation specialist with Alberta Wilderness Association. “This appointment demonstrates that oil and gas companies are being handed more control over the institutions meant to hold them accountable – a clear example of a captured regulator.”
“The AER has repeatedly failed to act in the public interest, ignoring tailings pond leaks, orphaned wells, and water security concerns,” added Aliénor Rougeot, Senior Program Manager at Environmental Defence, “Rob Morgan’s appointment only adds insult to injury, and is a slap in the face for all those who have been harmed by the fossil fuel industry’s pollution.”
The groups call on all Albertans to reject this appointment and demand true environmental oversight that protects water, land, and communities.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Jesse Cardinal, Executive Director, Keepers of the Water, ed@keepersofthewater.ca
Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
Phillip Meintzer, Conservation Specialist, Alberta Wilderness Association, pmeintzer@abwild.ca
