Tamarack Acquisition Corp. has been ordered to pay an $80,000 penalty after pleading guilty in provincial court to one charge under the Water Act.
Tamarack received a temporary diversion licence from the AER to withdraw groundwater for well drilling operations near Veteran, Alberta between January 2017 and April 2018.
As water was being withdrawn from the ground, Tamarack did not record how much water it was withdrawing. Instead, the company recorded this information after the fact breaking a condition of the licence it received from the AER.
The Veteran area is home to many diverse wetlands, as well as birds and other wildlife. When making decisions on energy development, the AER ensures these wetlands are protected.
The penalty includes a fine of $2000; the remaining $78 000 will be directed to creative sentencing projects that educate landowners and other non-industry stakeholders on requirements companies must follow when using water for energy development.
The penalty follows charges that the AER laid against Tamarack earlier this year.
For more information, check out the agreed statement of facts and court order on the AER’s Compliance Dashboard.
The AER ensures the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of hydrocarbon resources over their entire life cycle. This includes allocating and conserving water resources, managing public lands, and protecting the environment while providing economic benefits for all Albertans.