Summary
Assessing the desirability of large scale resource development is an extremely complicated process. In the past, the presumption has been that economic criteria were decisive. Lately, however, we have accepted the idea that social and environmental factors will affect the design and procedures of development, and, in extreme cases, may even indicate the abandonment of a project. Public input and formal environmental and social impact assessment have been accepted in principle, and the challenge is to incorporate them within an orderly and expeditious governmental decision process.
This is a case study of such a process for Esso Resources Canada Limited's proposed heavy oil project at Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada.
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References 1 Books and Articles
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Legislation and Regulations
British North America Act, 1867, 30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3, as amended.
Clean Air Act, S.A. 1971 c. 15, as amended.
Clean Water Act, S.A. 1971 c. 17, as amended.
Coal Conservation Act, S.A. 1973 c. 65, as amended (especially by S. A. 1978 c. 57).
Ground Water Control Act, R.S.A. 1970 c. 162, as amended.
Land Surface Conservation and Reclamation Act, S.A. 1973 c. 34.
Land Surface Conservation and Reclamation Act, Land Surface Conservation Regulations, Alta. Reg. 125/74.
Land Surface Conservation and Reclamation Act, Regulated Oil Sands Surface Operations Regulations, Alta. Reg. 159/76, as amended.
Oil and Gas Conservation Act, R.S.A. 1970 c. 267, as amended (especially by S.A. 1972, c. 74 s. 10, and 1975 (2) c. 10 s. 10 (1)).
Public Lands Act, R.S.A. 1970 c. 297, as amended.
Water Resources Act, R.S.A. 1970 c. 388, as amended.
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P. S. Elder was Gold Medallist and Law Review Editor upon graduating from the Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia (1965). Following his call to the Bar and graduate work at the University of London (London School of Economics), he was an aide to various Canadian federal cabinet ministers (1967–70) and taught law at the University of Western Ontario (1970–73).
In 1973 Professor Elder joined the Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he teaches legally related subjects. He has written widely in environmental law and policy, and public participation.
In his free time Elder engages in municipal and provincial politics
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Elder, P.S. Project approval, environmental assessment and public participation. Environmentalist 2, 55–71 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02600355
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02600355