Orphan well cleanup plan coming next month, says Alberta premier

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 3:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says plans for cleaning up abandoned oregon inactive lipid wells are to beryllium made nationalist successful 2 weeks.

On Wednesday, Smith said nationalist backing won't beryllium needed for the caller initiatives, contempt a draught authorities study leaked to media that says the opposite.

The study recommends creating caller companies backstopped by taxpayers that would get abandoned wells and usage revenues from them to money the cleanup.

It besides recommends mounting up an security money financed by manufacture that is yet backstopped by the province.

Smith says nary decisions person been made yet but that having companies get and nutrient lipid from abandoned wells to make caller gross sources for cleanup is an thought worthy considering.

But she says that program isn't without hazard arsenic determination are nary guarantees that abandoned wells volition beryllium profitable.

"I deliberation we person to beryllium prepared for that," she said.

"I'll beryllium funny to spot however the nationalist feels astir it."