The BCER invites you to provide feedback as part of a Regulatory Impact Analysis of the Dormancy and Shutdown Regulation.
Regulatory Impact Analyses provide a structured process for evaluating regulations and identifying opportunities for possible regulatory improvements.
Your insights and perspectives are crucial in ensuring this regulation effectively serves our community and meets the needs of all parties.
About the DSR
The Dormancy and Shutdown Regulation (DSR) was enacted in 2019 as part of the BCER’s Comprehensive Liability Management Plan to increase the rate at which inactive energy resource sites are returned to their pre-development state. To achieve this, the DSR sets timeline requirements for all sites to be decommissioned, assessed, and restored. Some of the key topics and activities covered in the DSR are:
- Site Closure Activities
- Decommissioning, including the downhole and surface abandonment of a well as well as the removal of any facilities and other surface infrastructure at the site.
- Assessment, including the identification of any potential contamination at the site by a qualified professional.
- Restoration, including remediation and reclamation; both of which return a site to its former condition. Final site reclamation must be completed using ecologically suitable species.
- Liability Reduction Plans
The intermediate site decommissioning, assessment, and restoration timelines set out under the DSR may not be practicable for all permit holders, particularly those with large portfolios of dormant sites. In these cases, the DSR enables permit holders to develop Liability Reduction Plans (LRPs). LRPs have strict back-end requirements for site assessment and restoration, and they must be approved by the BCER after consultation with First Nations.
- Notification, Planning, and Reporting Obligations
The DSR includes requirements for permit holders to communicate with all interested parties including land owners, First Nations, and local governments.
Permit holders must also provide the BCER with Annual Work Plans and Annual Reports. This reporting ensures the BCER can track restoration work completed by permit holders at their dormant sites.
We welcome your thoughts on areas for improvement, concerns you may have, and the overall impact of the DSR.
Please submit your written feedback by Jan. 30, 2025, via email to RegulatoryAffairs@bc-er.ca. If you would like to meet directly with the BCER to discuss your feedback, please contact us by email.
Thank you for your engagement and support in this important process. We look forward to hearing from you!