Order Declaring that the Provisions of the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) Do Not Apply in Saskatchewan: SOR/2020-234

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 154, Number 23

Registration
SOR/2020-234 October 26, 2020

CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT, 1999

P.C. 2020-827 October 23, 2020

Whereas, pursuant to subsection 332(1) footnote a of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 footnote b, the Minister of the Environment published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on May 16, 2020, a copy of the proposed Order Declaring that the Provisions of the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) Do Not Apply in Saskatchewan, substantially in the annexed form, and persons were given an opportunity to file comments with respect to the proposed Order or to file a notice of objection requesting that a board of review be established and stating the reasons for the objection;

Whereas, the Minister and the Government of Saskatchewan have entered into a written agreement referred to in subsection 10(3) of the Act to the effect that there are in force by or under the laws of Saskatchewan

Whereas, pursuant to subsections 10(4) and (5) of the Act, the Minister gave notice of the availability of that agreement in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on May 16, 2020, and persons were given an opportunity to file with the Minister comments or a notice of objection;

And whereas, pursuant to subsection 10(6) of the Act, the Minister published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on September 26, 2020, a notice of availability of a report that summarizes how any comments or notices of objection were dealt with;

Therefore, Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to subsection 10(3) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 footnote b, makes the annexed Order Declaring that the Provisions of the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) Do Not Apply in Saskatchewan.

Order Declaring that the Provisions of the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) Do Not Apply in Saskatchewan

Declaration

Non-application

1 Except with respect to a federal work or undertaking, the following provisions of the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) do not apply in Saskatchewan:

Cessation of effect

Day agreement terminates

2 This Order ceases to have effect on the day on which the agreement between the Minister of the Environment and the Government of Saskatchewan, entitled “Agreement on the Equivalency of Federal and Saskatchewan Regulations Respecting the Release of Methane from the Oil and Gas Sector in Saskatchewan, 2020”, terminates or is terminated under subsection 10(8) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

Coming into Force

Registration

3 (1) This Order, except paragraph 1(b), comes into force on the day on which it is registered.

January 1, 2023

(2) Paragraph 1(b) comes into force on January 1, 2023.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Order.)

Issues

The Government of Saskatchewan has introduced regulatory measures to manage methane emissions from the upstream oil and gas sector in a manner that is expected to achieve equivalent methane emissions reductions to the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) [the Federal Regulations]. In addition, the Oil and Gas Conservation Act has been amended to include provisions similar to sections 17 to 20 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). The Minister of the Environment has recommended that an order be made declaring that the provisions of the Federal Regulations do not apply in Saskatchewan, on the basis of an agreement with the Government of Saskatchewan that the provincial regulatory measures to reduce methane emissions meet the requirements for an equivalency agreement as set out in CEPA. An order is required to avoid regulatory overlap and administrative burden, and allow the Government of Saskatchewan to regulate methane emissions in the oil and gas sector in a manner that best suits its particular circumstances, while ensuring equivalent environmental outcomes to the Federal Regulations.

Background

In March 2016, Canada adopted a target to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40% to 45% below 2012 levels by 2025. footnote 1 This commitment was reaffirmed in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. To help achieve this target, the Government of Canada enacted the Federal Regulations in April 2018, which introduced control measures (facility and equipment standards) to reduce fugitive and venting emissions of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), from the upstream oil and gas sector. These control measures included requirements respecting fugitives, compressors, and well completions, which come into force in 2020, as well as routine venting and pneumatic controllers and pumps, which come into force in 2023.

On January 1, 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan enacted the Oil and Gas Emissions Management Regulations (the Saskatchewan Regulations), which apply company-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity limits to venting emissions from oil facilities. In addition to the Saskatchewan Regulations, on December 27, 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan enacted the Directive PNG036: Venting and Flaring Requirements (Directive PNG036) to provide venting and flaring limits on oil and gas facilities, as well as restrictions on temporary flaring during well completions. In April 2020, Directive PNG036 was amended to require leak detection and repair (LDAR) controls for gas facilities (gas batteries, gas plants, and gas gathering systems). In December 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan also amended Directive PNG017: Measurement Requirements for Oil and Gas Operations (Directive PNG017) to consolidate, clarify, and update regulatory requirements on oil and gas facilities with respect to how fuel gas, vent gas and flare gas volumes are measured for accounting and reporting purposes. In April 2020, Directive PNG017 was further amended to require enhanced quantification of associated gas at heavy oil facilities. Directive PNG036 and Directive PNG017 (Saskatchewan Directives) were adopted by ministerial orders.

Equivalency agreements under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Protection of the environment is a shared jurisdiction between the Government of Canada and provincial governments. Section 10 of CEPA authorizes the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of the Environment, to make an order to declare that the provisions of a regulation made under certain subsections of CEPA do not apply in a province or territory. For this to occur, the government of the province or territory must enter into an equivalency agreement with the Government of Canada. An equivalency agreement is a written agreement signed by the Minister of the Environment and representatives of the province, territory or aboriginal government where there are in force provisions made under the laws applicable to the jurisdiction of the provincial government that are equivalent to the Federal Regulations, as well as provisions that are similar to sections 17 to 20 of CEPA establishing a right to require the investigation of alleged environmental offences. Under subsection 10(8) of CEPA, an equivalency agreement has a maximum term of five years from the date on which it comes into force. An equivalency agreement may also be terminated before this time subject to a three-month notice by either party.

Saskatchewan equivalency agreement

The Government of Canada published an equivalency agreement in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act Registry (the CEPA Registry) entered into on the basis of equivalent methane emission reductions (in carbon dioxide equivalent [CO2e]), under provisions of the provincial laws in force in the jurisdiction of the Government of Saskatchewan, for the oil and gas sector in Saskatchewan and on the basis of similar provisions to sections 17 to 20 of CEPA for the right to require an investigation of alleged offences. These provisions are set out respectively under the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives and the Oil and Gas Conservation Act. The agreement was concluded upon signature of the parties and comes into force on the date of registration of the associated order declaring that the Federal Regulations do not apply in Saskatchewan except with respect to federal works or undertakings. This agreement will terminate on December 31, 2024, unless terminated earlier by either party with at least three months’ notice. The agreement is to be reviewed annually, including a review of emissions estimates. A new agreement may be concluded after expiry of this agreement. A draft equivalency agreement was published in the CEPA Registry and a notice of its availability was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on May 16, 2020, initiating a 60-day period for public comment. footnote 2

Equivalent environmental outcomes

For the purposes of determining equivalent outcomes between the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives and the Federal Regulations, The Department of the Environment (the Department) has estimated the methane reduction outcomes (in CO2e) from the Federal Regulations and the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives using the departmental reference case as published in Canada’s Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollutant Emissions Projections: 2018 (PDF) [the 2018 reference case].

Emission reductions were estimated in a manner similar to those described in the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement for the Federal Regulations published on May 27, 2017. The analysis was conducted by first developing detailed, bottom-up engineering emissions estimates for the baseline and regulatory scenarios for each emissions source. These engineering emission estimates were then scaled to align with the departmental reference case. The departmental reference case for the oil and gas sector was determined using historic emissions from the departmental National Inventory Report and the production forecast of oil and gas from the Canada Energy Regulator.

Using the Department’s 2018 reference case, the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives result in cumulative emission reductions of 11.61 megatonnes (Mt) of methane (in CO2e) for the period starting on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2024, compared to reductions of 11.48 Mt for the Federal Regulations, as summarized in Table 1 below. The Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives are expected to achieve equivalent emission reductions compared to the Federal Regulations from 2020 to 2024. As illustrated in Table 2, the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives do not achieve equivalent emission reductions over a 10-year time horizon. At this time, the Department estimates that additional actions from oil and gas facilities will be necessary to achieve similar outcomes throughout the January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2029 period.

Table 1. Five-year comparison of cumulative methane emission reductions (Mt CO2e) from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2024
Numbers may not add up due to rounding
Emission source Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives Federal Regulations Difference
Compressors N/A 0.28 −0.28
Fugitives 0.32 1.96 −1.64
General venting 10.63 8.02 2.61
Pneumatic devices N/A 0.57 −0.57
Well completions 0.65 0.65 0
Total 11.61 11.48 0.12
Table 2. Ten-year comparison of methane emission reductions (Mt CO2e) from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2029
Numbers may not add up due to rounding
Year Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives Federal Regulations Difference
2020 1.61 0.45 1.16
2021 2.12 0.54 1.58
2022 2.16 0.57 1.60
2023 2.73 4.91 −2.18
2024 2.98 5.00 −2.02
2025 3.36 5.10 −1.74
2026 3.44 5.19 −1.75
2027 3.53 5.29 −1.76
2028 3.60 5.37 −1.77
2029 3.67 5.44 −1.77
Total 29.21 37.87 −8.66

Following publication of the proposed Order in the Canada Gazette, Part I, the Department conducted an updated analysis using the latest departmental reference case as published in Canada’s 4th Biennial Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (PDF) [the 2019 reference case]. Using the Department’s 2019 reference case, the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives result in cumulative emission reductions of 14.13 Mt, compared to reductions of 12.85 Mt for the Federal Regulations throughout the equivalency period. While the equivalency agreement was negotiated on the basis of modelling results derived from the Department’s 2018 reference case, results using the Department’s 2019 reference case support the conclusion of equivalent methane emission reductions.

The Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives are also estimated to achieve VOC emission reductions that exceed those of the Federal Regulations over the equivalency period. However, the Federal Regulations achieve higher VOC emission reductions throughout the January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2029, period.

Objective

The objective of the Order Declaring that the Provisions of the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) Do Not Apply in Saskatchewan (the Order) is to reduce regulatory overlap and the reporting burden, while allowing Saskatchewan to achieve equivalent methane emission reductions in the oil and gas sector operating in the province in a manner that best suits its particular circumstances.

Description

The Order will stand down the application of the Federal Regulations to facilities in Saskatchewan, with the exception of federal works or undertakings as defined in subsection 3(1) of CEPA. The Order will cease to have effect upon the termination of the equivalency agreement on December 31, 2024, unless terminated earlier by either party with at least three months’ notice.

Regulatory development

Consultation prior to publication of the proposed Order in the Canada Gazette, Part I

Officials from the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada were actively engaged in bilateral discussions throughout the development of the Federal Regulations, the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives, and the proposed equivalency agreement. These discussions have focused on key policy and technical parameters used in support of the determination of equivalent outcomes and to ensure Saskatchewan has in place environmental legislation containing provisions that are similar to sections 17 to 20 of CEPA for the investigation of alleged offences.

Industry stakeholders wrote to the Department indicating support for an equivalency agreement with Saskatchewan in comments received during the 60-day comment period for the proposed Order Declaring that the Provisions of the Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Methane and Certain Volatile Organic Compounds (Upstream Oil and Gas Sector) Do Not Apply in British Columbia. These comments encouraged the Department to move forward with equivalency agreements with other provinces to avoid duplicative regulatory requirements.

Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) had publicly stated concerns regarding the outcome-based approach of the Saskatchewan Regulations. These concerns were also expressed in a letter the Department received from an ENGO consortium in March 2019. In addition, the ENGO consortium published a fact sheet for policy-makers in September 2019 titled “Comparing Saskatchewan and Federal Oil and Gas Methane Emissions Regulations” (PDF), where they describe, qualitatively, areas under the Saskatchewan regime that in their view need major improvement when compared to federal regulations.

Specifically, these concerns included the Government of Saskatchewan not requiring specific actions to reduce emissions from leaks at oil facilities, pneumatics and storage tanks as well as failing to update existing measurement and reporting requirements. These concerns were made prior to the adoption of the Saskatchewan Directives, which notably require measures to reduce emissions at well completions, during routine venting and flaring applicable to facilities, measures to control fugitives applicable to gas facilities, and enhanced quantification of associated gas at heavy oil facilities.

Comments received during the 60-day public comment period following publication of the proposed equivalency agreement and the proposed Order in the Canada Gazette, Part I

A notice of the availability of the proposed equivalency agreement and the proposed Order was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on May 16, 2020. They were also posted to the Department’s CEPA Registry website to raise awareness that they were available to the public for comment. The Department also informed a targeted group of key stakeholders of the applicable comment period. The Department received seven written submissions in total from various stakeholders, including the oil and gas industry and industry associations, ENGOs, and one member of Parliament (MP).

Overall, the feedback received during the comment period was similar to that received prior to publication of the proposed Order. Industry stakeholders have confirmed support for the Order and the equivalency agreement. While submissions from ENGOs did not challenge the Department’s analysis that the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives would achieve equivalent methane emission reductions, they did raise concerns related to Canada’s 2025 methane commitment, enforcement provisions, and temporary relief measures put in place by the Government of Saskatchewan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overview of feedback received and responses to specific stakeholder feedback

The Department’s responses to all comments related to the draft agreement have been published on the CEPA Registry. Stakeholder comments and responses are summarized below.

Support for equivalency agreements

Several industry stakeholders were supportive of the proposed equivalency agreement and the proposed Order and expressed support for provincially led regulations in the upstream oil and gas sector. Concerns were raised regarding the possibility of duplicative regulations in the absence of an equivalency agreement as parallel regulatory regimes (federal and provincial) would increase the cost of compliance and create a more complex regulatory environment.

Impact of COVID-19 temporary regulatory relief measures on equivalency

In April 2020, the Government of Saskatchewan announced the Temporary Regulatory Relief Measures (PDF) to provide enforcement discretion for oil and gas regulations on oil and gas wells, facilities and pipelines in response to economic challenges facing Saskatchewan’s oil and gas industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the decline in oil prices. ENGOs expressed concern that these temporary regulatory relief measures may result in lower methane emission reductions in 2020, potentially resulting in insufficient reductions over the 2020–2024 period compared to the Federal Regulations. They proposed adding a clause to the agreement to state that temporary measures to suspend regulatory requirements would trigger a federal review of emission outcomes to assess the need for increased stringency of provincial requirements.

The Department conducted a scenario analysis to estimate the potential impact of temporary regulatory relief measures on methane emission outcomes throughout the equivalency period. Under Saskatchewan’s Temporary Regulatory Relief Measures, LDAR inspections were exempt from March 1, 2020, to September 1, 2020, where conducting the inspection posed a risk to human health and safety. In addition, as of September 1, 2020, well and equipment installations and other field work that was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic have resumed. footnote 3 Moreover, under paragraph 28(1)(c) of the Federal Regulations, LDAR requirements do not apply where an inspection of equipment would pose a serious risk to human health or safety. In the event that LDAR inspections are not conducted, facility operators must make a record as required under subsection 28(2) detailing the circumstances.

Using the Department’s 2019 reference case, the analysis shows that when LDAR inspections and actions to reduce venting emissions do not occur for the majority of 2020, the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives will still achieve equivalent methane emission reductions compared to the Federal Regulations over the period of the equivalency agreement. The agreement has not been modified based on these stakeholder comments.

2025 federal methane reduction commitment

Recently published departmental methodology documents relating to equivalency agreements for the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan have created concerns for ENGOs that the Government of Canada will no longer be meeting its national methane emissions target. The ENGOs believe that the Federal Regulations must be updated and new equivalency agreements must be negotiated if projected national methane emissions continue to exceed the target.

Canada remains committed to reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40% to 45% below 2012 levels by 2025 as an important element of Canada’s climate plan. Several factors can alter the projected percentage reduction towards the 2025 target achieved by regulatory measures, including changes in production forecasts, and updates to baseline emissions levels resulting from incorporation of the latest data. The Department updates its analysis of the projected impacts of the methane regulations annually to incorporate the latest data and align with the latest departmental GHG emissions baseline. In addition, as Canada has adopted a national methane emission reduction target, emission reductions in Saskatchewan represent only one contributor to the target. Moreover, the Order standing down the Federal Regulations in Saskatchewan is supported by an equivalency agreement, which will be reviewed annually, including a review of emissions estimates.

The Department will continue to monitor emissions trends and provide updated information publicly through Departmental Results Reports tabled in Parliament each fall. The results achieved through implementation of the Federal Regulations are included in this report under the “Regulations to reduce GHGs and support climate action” section.

Regulatory approach

One submission received from an MP focused on the outcome-based approach of the Saskatchewan regime, noting that even with the adoption of the Saskatchewan Directives, the continued use of current reporting and measurement systems could result in underreported methane emissions and therefore lower methane emission reductions. While the MP acknowledged that the Saskatchewan Directives will result in methane emission reductions from fugitive sources, they stated that fugitive emission requirements are not stringent enough, which could lead to needless methane leaks.

The Department modelled the provincial and federal regulatory provisions in a consistent manner. This modelling determined that the requirements under the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives are expected to lead to emission reductions that exceed those under the Federal Regulations in the province over the period of analysis from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2024.

While individual regulatory provisions in the provincial regulatory regime are not precisely aligned with Federal Regulations, the Department has determined that environmental outcomes under both the federal and provincial regimes are equivalent over the equivalency period.

Extensive information sharing obligations are in the agreement. The Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan will meet each year to review the implementation of the provincial regime and consider progress under the agreement.

Renewal of the equivalency agreement

The MP also commented that although the five-year (2020–2024) outlook for emission reductions are equivalent, long-term (2025–2029) projected emission reductions are not. The discrepancy in long-term emission reductions was interpreted as the Government of Saskatchewan postponing action to address methane emissions.

Furthermore, ENGOs noted that if the Government of Saskatchewan is interested in entering into a subsequent equivalency agreement with the Government of Canada, the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives would need to be enhanced to achieve the same methane emission reductions as the Federal Regulations.

As part of the equivalency agreement, the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan have agreed to review the agreement annually. At the request of the province, the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan can negotiate and may conclude another agreement to come into force after 2024 if the requirements under section 10 of CEPA are met, including an equivalent environmental outcome.

Sanctions and enforcement program

One ENGO expressed concerns that Saskatchewan’s proposed regime is not equivalent with respect to penalties applicable under the Federal Regulations. They believe that the penalty scheme under the Saskatchewan Regulations may not be sufficient to deter the recurrence of violations.

Sanctions and penalties under the provincial regime have been considered in the context of the equivalency agreement. The Department is confident that the implementation of the Saskatchewan regime, in particular the relevant provisions under the provincial Oil and Gas Conservation Act and the Saskatchewan Regulations, are sufficient to ensure an environmental outcome comparable to that of the Federal Regulations.

Modern treaty obligations and Indigenous engagement and consultation

In Saskatchewan, facilities subject to the Federal Regulations were identified on the reserve lands of 11 First Nations. The Order will stand down the Federal Regulations in Saskatchewan, including for those facilities on reserve lands. Equivalent environmental outcomes are expected to be achieved under the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives. Moreover, the Order is expected to result in incremental cost savings for facilities subject to the Federal Regulations, including facilities managed by Indigenous peoples. Upon publication of the proposed equivalency agreement and the proposed Order, National Indigenous Organizations and the First Nations subject to the Federal Regulations were notified and invited to provide comment. No comments were received. No modern treaty obligations are expected to be impacted by the Order.

Instrument choice

An order is the only regulatory instrument under CEPA for the Governor in Council to declare that the Federal Regulations do not apply in Saskatchewan. Non-regulatory options such as a voluntary option or code of practice are therefore not suitable tools for achieving the objective.

Regulatory analysis

Benefits and costs

The Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives will regulate methane emissions with an equivalent degree of stringency to the Federal Regulations in a manner designed with the specific characteristics of the Saskatchewan oil and gas industry in mind. Furthermore, the Order will reduce regulatory overlap and reporting burden by suspending the requirements of the Federal Regulations in Saskatchewan. As a result, the Order is expected to result in incremental compliance and administrative cost savings to industry.

The federal government is expected to realize incremental cost savings from suspended administrative activities related to enforcement, compliance promotion, and administration of the Federal Regulations in Saskatchewan. These cost savings are estimated to about $410,500 over a five-year period. footnote 4

Small business lens

While the Federal Regulations exempt facilities that produce and/or receive less than 60 000 mfootnote 3 of hydrocarbon gas per year to help limit impacts on small businesses, small businesses own facilities that exceed this threshold. In 2018, the Department identified 111 small businesses in Saskatchewan that would be affected by the Federal Regulations. As a result of reduced regulatory overlap and reporting burden by suspending the requirements of the Federal Regulations in Saskatchewan, the Order will result in cost savings for these small businesses.

One-for-one rule

The Order will reduce administrative costs imposed by the Federal Regulations on oil and gas facilities and result in an “out” under the one-for-one rule. Oil and gas facilities in Saskatchewan will no longer need to comply with the administrative requirements associated with the Federal Regulations, resulting in average annualized cost savings of $386,793. The average administrative cost savings per business will be approximately $2,015. footnote 5

Regulatory cooperation and alignment

Protection of the environment is a shared responsibility in Canada. The use of equivalency agreements, together with an order suspending the application of a federal regulation in a jurisdiction, is included in section 10 of CEPA as a tool for avoiding regulatory duplication.

The Government of Saskatchewan has final regulatory requirements applicable to the oil and gas sector to reduce venting of gas, mandate LDAR at gas facilities (gas batteries, gas plants, and gas gathering systems), as well as restrictions on temporary flaring during well completions. The Department is satisfied that the Government of Saskatchewan’s Regulations and Directives adopted by orders have met CEPA requirements for the equivalency period. Therefore, the order suspending the application of the Federal Regulations in Saskatchewan has been recommended by the Minister of the Environment.

The Order will cover the same period as the equivalency agreement, ending no later than December 31, 2024, and equivalent emission reductions will be achieved under the Saskatchewan Regulations and Directives over the equivalency period. Thus, Canada’s commitments to reduce methane emissions by 40% to 45% of 2012 levels by 2025, and Canada’s Paris Agreement commitment are not expected to be affected.

Strategic environmental assessment

The Federal Regulations were developed under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) was completed for this framework in 2016. The SEA concluded that proposals under the framework will reduce GHG emissions and are in line with the 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy for Canada (PDF) goal of effective action on climate change. The Order will result in a decrease in VOC emissions.

Gender-based analysis plus

No gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) impacts have been identified for this Order.

Implementation, compliance and enforcement, and service standards

The Order declares that the provisions of the Federal Regulations do not apply in Saskatchewan effective on the day which the Order comes into force, except for facilities expressly exempted. At the coming into force of the Order, the Federal Regulations no longer apply to oil and gas facilities in Saskatchewan, with the exception of facilities that are federal works or undertakings, which includes interprovincial pipelines.

Contacts

Magda Little
Director
Oil, Gas and Alternative Energy Division
Energy and Transportation Directorate
Environmental Protection Branch
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 Saint-Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0H3
Email: ec.methane-methane.ec@canada.ca

Matthew Watkinson
Director
Regulatory Analysis and Valuation Division
Economic Analysis Directorate
Strategic Policy Branch
Environment and Climate Change Canada
200 Sacré-Cœur Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0H3
Email: ec.darv-ravd.ec@canada.ca