EDMONTON — Environmental lawyers are asking Alberta's ethics commissioner to investigate an energy regulator board member and adviser to Premier Danielle Smith for conflicts of interest.
Susanne Calabrese, a lawyer for Ecojustice, says David Yager's appointments combined with his history of consulting for oil and gas companies put him at odds when he was hired to craft a government strategy for managing inactive oil wells.
The strategy was published in April and put forward nearly two dozen recommendations, including having legislation create companies that would take over inactive wells and use profits for cleanup efforts.
Critics like Calabrese say the strategy and its recommendations are more focused on sustaining and supporting oil companies than accelerating cleanup of the nearly 80,000 inactive wells across the province.
Calabrese and an affected landowner have asked the ethics commissioner to determine if Yager's recommendations directly benefit companies he consulted for and if they go against his responsibility as a board member for the Alberta Energy Regulator.
Energy Minister Brian Jean's office says the province contracted Yager for his valuable experience in the oil sector and his perspective on industry issues.
Yager did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
