@dangal9366:
Haha you think this is ever going to get cleaned up… 250 000 wells and counting?
@rickypoon6406:
Don’t forget the oil and gas workers laid off while CEOs make record profits. These companies need to be punished.
@thorstennesch.bsky.social:
What’s so hard to say now “if you want to drill 1, you first have to clean up 4 abandoned wells”
U r welcome Gov ABleg for my free advice
“And.. oh, you dont have the $$ now you won’t do it later neither”
2023 meme by @jennyleeshee on creepy investor Brett Wilson, timely, given Adolf Orange’s current threats to destroy Canada.
These paragraphs below from Mr. Wilson’s Wikipedia Page:
William Brett Wilson CM SOM (born July 1, 1957[2]) is a Canadian investment banker, businessman, and investor. …
… Hang protestors for treason
In 2018, Wilson produced a series of tweets describing anti-pipeline activists as “slimy bastards,” calling for them to be hanged for “treason”.[29][30][31][32] CBC Calgary decided against using Wilson as a future commentator because of these comments.[23]
Petition for removal from the Order of Canada Advisory Council
In May 2018, Wilson suggested that money be raised to pay B.C. NDP MLAs to cross the floor and bring down B.C.’s minority government, which resulted in a petition that he be removed from the Order of Canada advisory council “for his continued un-democratic and un-civil comments inciting violence against Canadians and undermining democratic institutions in our country.“[33] …
2019 Malcolm Mayes Cartoon in Edmonton Journal
2020 Malcolm Mayes cartoon in Edmonton Journal:
In Alberta, nothing changes, just the health harms, quakes and pollution get worse and worse, rip-offs get bigger and bigger (like fracs and frac quakes) and anti science, anti reality, anti environment, anti water, anti health, anti safe air, anti Trudeau idiots in the UCP banned wind and solar energy. Must not allow any competition; the polluting fossil fools aren’t man enough to cope, never mind clean up.
Alberta wants to accelerate cleanup of oil and gas wells with taxpayers as backstop, document shows by Jeffrey Jones, ESG and Sustainable Finance Reporter, March 17, 2025, The Globe and Mail
An Alberta government panel is proposing a series of actions to deal with the massive cleanup bill for aging and uneconomic oil and gas wells, some of which would see taxpayers backstop activities that the industry has long been responsible for, a leaked document shows.
The recommendations include establishing special-purpose companies to acquire mature wells, produce the remaining hydrocarbons and use the cash flow to fund cleanup, and also setting up an insurance fund financed by the industry but guaranteed by taxpayers.
The options, and numerous others, are detailed in a draft report of a process to create what the province calls a “mature asset strategy” to deal with a massive backlog of wells that remain on the books of producing companies but are no longer profitable. A copy of the confidential report, dated Jan. 28, was obtained by The Globe and Mail.
Today, companies are legally required to plug spent wells and reclaim the land. But ballooning underfunded cleanup liabilities have fuelled significant friction between the industry, government and rural municipalities, which say they are owed $253.9-million in unpaid taxes from energy companies.
When companies go bankrupt, their wells can be transferred to the Orphan Well Association, an industry-funded group tasked with cleaning them up. The OWA has received millions of dollars in loans from the Alberta and federal government in recent years to shore up its operations.Which billion dollar profit raping oil and gas companies will not pay back. Why would they? No one will make them, and no one will punish them if they don’t.
The mature asset report tallies the number of marginal, inactive or decommissioned oil and gas wells in the province at 274,215, more than half of all those licensed. Estimates to clean them up vary wildly, from $33-billion into the hundreds of billions of dollars.
The 71-page report blames the woes of smaller, thinly financed companies that own the wells largely on outside factors. They include weak natural gas prices; high regulatory costs; a shift in investor focus to the oil sands and liquids-rich gas; and environmental, social and governance requirements and net-zero investment policies that have restricted their access to capital.
Critics who have reviewed the draft say many of the recommendations amount to giveaways to a dwindling part of the industry, and are an affront to the polluter-pay principle. The recommendations also fail to address ways for municipalities and landowners to recover unpaid taxes and surface rents, they say.
It is difficult to understand how the industry can say that it was blindsided by rapid and unexpected changes to justify releasing companies from cleanup obligations, said Drew Yewchuk, a former staff lawyer with the University of Calgary’s public interest law clinic who has studied the issue extensively.
“Everyone always knew this was a non-renewable resource. Nothing about this was really surprising. Even relative to knowledge of climate change and decarbonization – decarbonization has happened slower than it could have plausibly been expected, so they’ve actually had luck, not shocking bad luck,” Mr. Yewchuk said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has in the past come under fire for proposing using the public purse to deal with the problem, and her government has not ruled out using taxpayer dollars to help clear the backlog.
Fractured Alberta Fairy Tales by U.C.Pee by @Albertazone
David Yager, a former energy executive who serves as special adviser to Ms. Smithand good pal of the premier who sleazily appointed him to AER’s board, I expect to make sure no company has to pay a penny to fix and clean up their hundreds of thousands of fracs leaking explosive gasses and toxic chemicals into drinking water, family homes and businesses, and the air, after mega billions in profits are raped out of Alberta, while refusing to pay rent, damages, and their tax bills, led the mature asset process through five months of meetings with representatives from energy companies, industry associations, government ministries and agencies, rural municipalities as well as experts from various disciplines.
Alberta government officials did not respond to requests to comment on the proposals by deadline.
Under the special-purpose entity proposal, the province would set up a company it calls ClosureCo to acquire old assets for cleanup so they would not be passed to the OWA. Another entity, called HarvestCo, would seek to maximize production from the assets to fund cleanup.
Just another fucking con fairy tale. That money will never be used to clean up; it’ll zip quickly into pockets of the rich, which I am certain Dildo Danielle and her cockroaches in the UCP and ultra evangelically evil TBA know well. I bet the trickery pulled off by Diversified in the USA helped write part of the leaked confidential report:
2024: Congress investigating Rusty Huston of Diversified Energy and his dirty deeds shell game: Buying up shitty wells, delaying their clean-up and cooking the books to make $millions. Wanna bet Adolf Orange/Nazi Musk DOGEd this investigation into Diversified’s hanky panky?
The government could offer regulatory and financial supports with the aim of “engaging the financial sector” to participate in, the report says.Hint, give huge interest free loans that the financial sector knows companies will never pay back because no matter what con govt idiot Albertans vote into power, each con govt will make ordinary Albertans pay back the loans. It’s a frenzied polluting profit rape fest with hundreds of billions of dollars in losses always hung on Albertans, the stupidest voters in Canada, and their kids, and their kids, and their kids, generation after polluted ripped off generation of fucking dunces screaming “Freedom” as they wave confederate and American flags blaming “Trudeau!” for every fucking Alberta gov’t failure.
Another proposal is an insurance fund for environmental problems that emerge after a site has been reclaimed. The fund would be financed by contributions from companies with well licences, and ultimately backstopped by taxpayers.
In addition, the province could set up sinking funds attached to individual wells or asset portfolios to finance cleanup obligations, as well as use carbon markets to provide incentives to shut down and clean up high-emission sites, the report suggests.
Other proposals include seeking changes to the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act to favour producers in bankruptcy cases, and saving cleanup costs by covering partly reclaimed sites with solar panels.WTF! Now, when it’s too late, comes solar?
The report recommends establishing a “rapid and transparent process” to address unpaid municipal taxes, and strengthening collaboration with municipalitiesFFS? Collaborate? Make municipalities dance with their abusers? As we force ordinary struggling Alberta families to pay to clean up instead of the companies that raped Alberta dry over decades, intentionally walking blissfully from clean-up aided by AER and Alberta govt after govt, bankrupting themselves in court with freedom happily granted by judges, and or intentionally selling to fly-by-nights with nothing for assets to clean up. No wonder Alberta politicos love the Orange Menace south of the border. He’s nothing but a painted liar and con man. UCP are con artists too, stealing from every day Albertans that worship them, just like Donald steals more and more from his ultra stupid MAGAts. Cult of Evil.It also suggests re-establishing a quasi-judicial tribunal to address stakeholder concerns.Who pays for that? Taxpayers again? Another stupid panel to fatten the fat pals of Danielle Smith? And what the fuck will this panel do? Rule always for the fossil fuel polluting criminals, and always against landowners, farmers, ranchers, towns, villages, cities and municipalities? The panel will use a cookie cutter template written by industry lawyers, and fill in the thieving blanks, while pretending to be intelligent. Bonus, the Alberta MAGAts will think something is finally being done to clean up, even though if they stop blaming Trudeau for a few minutes and think about it, they’ll throw up because they know nothing will be cleaned up as more billions of citizen dollars are stolen to give to polluters.
Who repairs the frac’d aquifers and frac quake damages? And who pays?
Will I get a “free” solar panel to put on top of my water hauling tank to keep it from freezing when it’s -30C? Or to cover my contaminated water well that’s too dangerous to even supply water for flushing toilets and will solar panels be spread over quake zones?
Paul McLauchlin, reeve of Ponoka County in central Alberta, and former president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta association, said the process offers little in the way of new concrete measures for municipalities to recover what they are owed.
Mr. McLauchlin, who participated in the discussions, said his county has written off $6.5-million in taxes and surface leases owed by oil and gas companies.
“I think this is just another continuance, another scheme, on behalf of the industry, that’s going to basically create the same scenario again. I think it’s shady. I think, literally, the industry needs to pay their bills, and I think the government, quite honestly, needs to regulate.”Dear Mr. McLaughlin, Why the hell did you participate? Surely you knew better than to legitimize this new pyramid scheme atop decades of endless pyramid schemes stealing from Albertans to fatten rich frac fuckers? And, most importantly, do you vote UCP?
Unpaid Oil & Gas Taxes: Worsening Crisis Calls for a Collaborative Solution Press Release by Rural Municipalities of Alberta, March 12, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENISKU, ALBERTA, MARCH 12, 2025 – The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) has conducted a member survey identifying that as of December 31, 2024, at least $253.9 million of municipal property taxes have gone unpaid by oil and gas companies. This marks the seventh consecutive year of the survey which highlights the continued failure by oil and gas companies to meet their legal tax obligations. Despite government efforts to address the issue, the findings make it clear that these measures have fallen short, leaving rural municipalities to shoulder the growing financial burden.
“While we recognize and appreciate the Government of Alberta’s well-intentioned efforts to address unpaid oil and gas taxes, the problem continues to worsen. Year after year, rural municipalities present clear, documented, and verifiable evidence that oil and gas companies are willfully avoiding their property tax responsibilities. Yet, year after year, this issue persists due to a lack of proper industry regulation and accountability. While other property owners across the province face stringent penalties for non-payment, oil and gas companies continue to take advantage of legislative and policy gaps. Tweaks to the system have not worked. It is time for government to dedicate the time and resources needed to work with RMA and other stakeholders to solve this issue once and for all before it causes even more damage to rural communities.” – Kara Westerlund, President, Rural Municipalities of Alberta.
The RMA has called on the Government of Alberta to establish a working group to create a Property Tax Accountability Strategy (PTAS) to address the issue of unpaid oil and gas taxes. After years of advocating for solutions, the RMA recognizes the complexity of the issue and the need for a collaborative approach that involves municipal, provincial, and industry stakeholders. The PTAS, to be developed through a collaborative working group, aims to close legislative and enforcement gaps and ensure industry accountability.
The goal is to produce a joint report with actionable recommendations and strategies to recover unpaid taxes and restore a strong partnership between industry, rural municipalities, and government. RMA is pleased to note that Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver and Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean have indicated a willingness to collaborate with RMA to form the PTAS in the coming months.
“As we work to address the ongoing issue of unpaid oil and gas taxes, a collaborative approach between government and municipal stakeholders is essential. By coming together with key partners, including the provincial government, industry, and other relevant stakeholders, we can develop practical, effective solutions that not only recover unpaid taxes but also ensure accountability and long-term sustainability for all of Alberta’s municipalities,” explained President Westerlund. “While the problem is not yet solved, we are encouraged by the willingness of ministers McIver and Jean to work with us to seek holistic solutions to this issue through the development of a Property Tax Accountability Strategy. We recognize that a path towards industry accountability requires buy-in from both levels of government and we are hopeful this approach is the way forward.”
A holistic approach through the PTAS is necessary because recent isolated legislative and regulatory changes have fallen short as the amount of unpaid taxes remains largely unchanged from previous years. These measures included enhancing municipal lien powers, restricting companies with significant arrears from receiving new well licenses, and developing a framework for municipalities to report unpaid taxes for enforcement. However, these initiatives have proven ineffective. As of the 2024 fiscal year, the outstanding tax owed has risen significantly to $67.8 million, up from $42.9 million in 2023.
In this year’s survey, the RMA gathered specific company data from members, which provided unique insights into the issue of unpaid property taxes.
The results were alarming: the top ten “worst offending” companies collectively owe $67.3 million in unpaid property taxes to 38 different municipalities, several of whom face unpaid taxes from multiple companies on the “top ten” list. The worst offender alone accounts for more than $27 million in unpaid taxes, spread across 19 municipalities. While ten companies being responsible for $67.3 million in tax arrears is concerning, the issue is not isolated to these ten “worst offenders” – in total, members have identified over 200 companies with unpaid property taxes.
“Unpaid property taxes are a pervasive issue that extends far beyond just a few isolated cases. This problem is widespread, with responsibility falling on companies across the industry and impacting municipalities on a significant scale. It is crucial that we recognize the scope of this challenge; it is a systemic problem with how the industry is regulated and held accountable, that requires immediate attention and collaborative action to resolve” shared President Westerlund.
For more information, please see RMA’s 2025 By the Numbers.
About the Rural Municipalities of Alberta
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) is a trusted and independent association representing Alberta’s 69 counties and municipal districts. Since 1909, RMA remains committed to empowering rural municipalities with strong, effective local governance. Through dedicated advocacy and a suite of valued business services, including cooperative procurement and group benefits through the Canoe Procurement Group of Canada and comprehensive coverage through RMA Insurance, we strive to strengthen and support rural Alberta. Learn more at rmalberta.com.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Shamelle Pless
General Manager, Marketing & Communications, RMA
780.886.2480
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@wokeinalberta.bsky.social:
Didn’t PMJT already give Alberta $1B not too long ago for cleanup?
Yes, and other gov’ts also gave more money, huge tax cuts while companies were raking in billions in record profits, and gave loans. That billion dollars didn’t even pay to do a bit of dusting on the greed because companies didn’t want to interrupt their profit-raping from more and more new drills and fracs (that will also never be cleaned up, thanks to the corrupt UCP and their oil and gas lobby leader, Dirty Dildo Danielle, pointing, “Trudeau, you know!”).
@molszyns.bsky.social:
A drop in a $330 billion bucket.*
*$260 billion internal AER estimate from 2018 (total O&G sector), adjusted for inflation.
@jansplanet.bsky.social:
RStar 2.0, a scam too good for the petro-conservatives to forget. This time they might dress it up with some solar panels.
PollutersPay #FailingPetroState
AbPoli #AbLeg #CdnPoli
Refer also to:
Rural landowners are angry at the rate that abandoned oil wells are accumulating on their land. Without legislated timelines for industry to clean up well sites once production has stopped, landowners and environmental groups say the legacy of this side of the energy industry is already a major burden on the land. “Abandoned” is one of several technical designations for a well that is no longer producing oil, so the actual number of such sites and their condition is hard to pin down. Alberta Energy statistics put the number of “uncertified wells,” meaning those that are out of use but not yet capped, on land that has not been reclaimed, at 50,417.
Some of those oil wells were drilled over 100 years ago, and the companies that should be liable for their reclamation have long since ceased to exist.
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has extensive rules governing well abandonment, but Red Deer area rancher Glenn Norman, also a vocal member of the Alberta Surface Rights [Group], says there are big loopholes in the regulatory framework, and that the AER does not enforce its rules adequately. “What’s currently wrong with the regulatory framework is it’s not getting the job done. The amount of wells that are sitting suspended is absolutely huge,” says Norman. He says one of the biggest problems is the lack of a legislated timeline to dictate when an oil company must cap a well it is finished with and perform environmental reclamation on the site. “Within five miles of me there are probably 12, 14 wells that have been sitting not doing anything, nothing’s being produced — some of them nothing has ever come out of them and they’ve been sitting there since the ’70s,” he adds. Norman says it is often cheaper for an oil company to continue to pay the lease on abandoned wells in perpetuity than to perform the required abandonment and reclamation procedures. He also says oil companies will do this until they go out of business, after which time the old wells become the Orphan Well Fund’s responsibility.
In Alberta, all oil companies pay a levy to the Orphan Well Fund to cover the costs of the Orphan Well Association (OWA), which reclaims well sites that belonged to now-defunct companies. An Alberta Surface Rights [Group] resolution wants oil company levies to be tripled and the fund to be raised to $250 million. In 2012, the fund was raised to $15 million from $12 million per year. According to OWA manager Patricia Payne, that is just enough to handle its current inventory of 540 orphan sites.
“At that rate they’ll finish getting rid of the orphan wells just about the time the Earth spirals into the sun,” says Norman.
Payne says the association’s greatest challenge is co-ordinating reclamation work for wells scattered across the province, and an additional funding increase would help. She says that because there is no timeline dictating how quickly a well site must be cleaned up, the OWA makes an effort to deal with the ones that appear to present the greatest risk to the environment or nearby communities.
Norman says the Alberta Surface Rights [Group] and other landowner advocacy groups have been bringing their concerns to the provincial government for decades with little success.
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