172 business elite canada
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SEPT/OCT 2014
where in the 1930s. Incomplete combustion
from the flaring process that is done when gas
cannot be economically processed or sold may
release carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocar-
bons, sulfur compounds, and particulates such
as soot and ash. These harmful effects were
not completely understood at the time when
regulation curbed the independent practice of
gas flaring. In the first decade of the 21st cen-
tury, regulation cut gas flaring in Alberta by 80
per cent. Much has changed in terms of regu-
lation, thanks in large part to the organization,
since the rash of oil spills that spelled a crisis
for industry in the 1970s.
Today, the AER continues to ensure the safe,
efficient, orderly, and environmentally respon-
sible development of hydrocarbon resources
over their entire lifecycle. This often demands
keeping pace with new technologies and those
that may be invented as a result of regulation
to meet new industry standards. The AER also
oversees the allocation and conservation of
water resources, management of public lands,
and protection of the environment while pro-
viding economic benefits for Albertans.
Barter’s job as Senior Public Affairs Advisor
with AER, more specifically, is to ensure that
“We want to make sure that
if you’re in the ground here,
then you’re doing the best job
possible.”
