ACFN joins voices calling for Protti’s resignation

A month after the province named Gerry Protti as chair of the Alberta Energy Regulator the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation joined non-governmental organizations and special interest groups to call for his resignation. Protti’s industry history which includes one of the founders of the Canadian Association for Petroleum Producers, an executive for Encana, and a lobbyist for the Energy Policy Institute of Canada, has brought “his ability to chair the Alberta Energy Regulator with transparency and accountability,” stated a news release from the ACFN. “Our community has been raising serious questions about the provinces environmental standards and monitoring. We have repeatedly demanded more meaningful participation in the development of the provinces new environmental monitoring projects. Instead of better engagement they appoint the former founder of CAPP as the Chair of the new Alberta Energy Regulator? This is unacceptable and insulting,” said ACFN Chief Allan Adam. The government recently appointed Jim Ellis as CEO for the AER. Ellis has served as deputy minister of the provincial energy and environment departments. “We are confident we have found the right team,” said Energy Minister Ken Hughes in a news release.