Where did AER’s Executive VP Mark Taylor go? He was Encana manager when the company illegally frac’d Rosebud’s drinking water aquifers, then lied about it to 200 concerned community members, promising Encana would only frac far below fresh water zones (same lie touted by frac’ers everywhere), after area water wells had already gone bad, and were being investigated by – of course – the criminal, with regulator and govt blessings.

Encana still has not disclosed to Ernst, in document exchange ordered by Justice Neil C. Wittmann in July 2014, the chemical additives injected directly into the aquifers that supply her well and community, and in the fresh water zones on hundreds of shallow gas wells nearby.

Did Mark Taylor direct Ryan Bartlett to lie, or write the lies for him, in AER’s statement on the Supreme Court of Canada ruling in Ernst vs AER? And are the lies why AER called it a “Public Statement” instead of a press release?

The red dots, solid and circles, mapped below were frac’d from 2001 – April 2006, most of which when Mark Taylor was manager at Encana. The blue shows the location of the Rosebud community’s drinking water reservoir that blew up in an explosion from an apparent accumulation of gases in January 2005, nine months after Encana illegally frac’d directly into the community’s drinking water aquifers in 2004. The purpose of frac’ing is to force methane to let go from formations it is tightly adsorbed to, from which it will not release naturally. Mr. Taylor told us it took Encana two years of experiments, with massive frac crews, to figure out how to force the methane to let go, it was holding on so tightly. (After water wells community-wide were contaminated with methane, ethane, and chemicals used in frac’ing, the company and authorities blamed nature.)

“Base of Groundwater Protection” is where fresh water zones begin.

The black dots are deeper wells.

Many of the frac’d wells were refrac’d again and again and again.

Encana frac’d more shallow wells thereafter, including above the Base of Groundwater Protection, even after promising not to and during the gov’t’s fraudulent investigation, and many deeper.

Comment to the Herald article below:

David Schafer
And criminal charges will be proceeding when?

Trio of senior executives depart from troubled Alberta Energy Regulator by Bill Kaufmann, October 23, 2019, Calgary Herald

On the heels of damning investigations revealing ethical lapses within it, the Alberta Energy Regulator announced Wednesday three senior executives have left.

The AER said executive vice presidents Stacey Schorr, Mark Taylor and Carol Crowfoot have exited the agency, which oversees the development of the province’s energy industry.

On Wednesday, the AER didn’t say why the three had departed, stating its covered under privacy protection legislation.

A series of investigations concluded earlier this month that former CEO Jim Ellis “had grossly mismanaged funds in establishing and supporting the operations of ICORE,” states a report from public interest commissioner Marianne Ryan.

It referred to the creation of the International Centre of Regulatory Excellence and in 2017 the Ellis-directed ICORE Energy Services.

Another report accused Ellis — who left the regulator last November — of being in a conflict of interest and failing to disclose that conflict.

It’s an episode, they said, that cost taxpayers $2.3 million. [taxpayers do not fund the AER, industry does, to a tune of 100%!]

“The AER board is committed to finding a permanent CEO as quickly as possible and will be working closely with interim CEO Gordon Lambert to ensure the AER continues to uphold its mandate to protect public safety and the environment,” said a statement released by the agency Wednesday.

In September, the UCP government replaced the AER’s board of directors with an interim panel and launched a review, which includes a probe of its governing structure.

“The board will also continue its work with the Government of Alberta in its review of AER,” said the regulator.

“Our interim CEO is working closely with the new interim board to ensure the regulator continues to uphold its mandate to protect public safety and the environment during this time of transition.”

Alberta Energy Regulator parts ways with 3 executives by Ryan White, October 23, 2019, Calgary CTV News

CALGARY – The Alberta Energy Regulator board announced three executives are no longer with the organization as part of the ongoing effort to evolve its culture. [Why use such soft words? Why not use words that will accurately describe the corruption-loaded, lying, propagandizing, life threatening pollution enabling, 100% industry-funded, reprehensible AER for what it truly is? Getting rid of Ellis, Taylor and a few other scapegoats is not going to clean up the deregulator. Especially not with Bev Yee appointed Chair!]

On Wednesday, Gordon Lambert, AER’s president and interim CEO, announced the immediate departures of:

Mark Taylor, executive vice-president, operations division

Stacey Schorr, executive vice-president, stakeholder and government engagement

Carol Crowfoot, executive vice-president, strategy and regulatory division

In a statement released Wednesday, the AER board said it remains committed to finding a permanent CEO as quickly as possible and it “continues to uphold its mandate to protect public safety and the environment.” [Pffft! AER upholds industry’s incessant toxic pollution, secrets, deregulation, lies, abuse of Albertans and propaganda! AER has never upheld public safety of the public or the environment. The entire industry organization needs to be turfed and industry’s grubby greedy fingers cut out of the pie.]

Former CEO Jim Ellis left the regulator in November 2018 following an investigation conducted by the public interest commissioner and other government watchdogs. The investigation determined Ellis misused funds and abused trust when he leveraged public money and resources to launch ICORE, a global consultancy group he planned to join at a later date.

The AER board said it continues to work with the Government of Alberta as part of the province’s ongoing review of the organization.

AER Executives No Longer with the Organization Press Release by AER, Calgary, Alberta (Oct 23, 2019)

The Alberta Energy Regulator’s executive vice presidents Carol Crowfoot, Stacey Schorr, and Mark Taylor are no longer with the AER.

The AER board is committed to finding a permanent CEO as quickly as possible, and will be working closely with interim CEO Gordon Lambert to ensure the AER continues to uphold its mandate to protect public safety and the environment.

The board also will continue its work with the Government of Alberta in its review of the AER.

– 30 –

For more information, please contact:

AER Communications and International Relations
E-mail: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Media line: 1-855-474-6356
AERNR2019-04

3 executives ‘no longer with’ Alberta Energy Regulator by Emily Mertz, Oct 23, 2019, Global News

Three executive vice presidents with the Alberta Energy Regulator — an agency that’s currently under review — are no longer with the AER.

In a statement Wednesday, the regulator said “executive vice presidents Carol Crowfoot, Stacey Schorr and Mark Taylor are no longer with the AER.

“The AER board is committed to finding a permanent CEO as quickly as possible and will be working closely with interim CEO Gordon Lambert to ensure the AER continues to uphold its mandate to protect public safety and the environment.

“The board will also continue its work with the government of Alberta in its review of AER.”

Premier Jason Kenney, fulfilling a campaign pledge, replaced the entire board with an interim panel and his government is reviewing operations.

Multiple government investigations, the results of which were released in early October, found the former head of the AER misused funds and abused trust by leveraging public money and resources to start a global consultancy group he eventually hoped to join.

They say Jim Ellis and other regulator leaders fomented a “culture of fear” in a search to root out perceived whistleblowers and eased out one senior lawyer. [Who was that?]

Investigators estimate taxpayers [AER is 100% funded by the industry it regulates. Ellis et al did not do the hanky panky with public/taxpayer money, they did it with industry money!] are out about $2.3 million, most of it from lost salaries and travel and expense costs. …

One of the comments:

Bill Gunsch
So are we going to sue these people for misappropriating funds? We need to start making people that we hire accountable!

Cat get BOE’s tongue? BOE just copied AER’s press release! AER Executives No Longer with the Organization by BOE staff, October 23, 2019, BOE Report

The Alberta Energy Regulator’s executive vice presidents Carol Crowfoot, Stacey Schorr, and Mark Taylor are no longer with the AER. The AER board is committed to finding a permanent CEO as quickly as possible, and will be working closely with interim CEO Gordon Lambert to ensure the AER continues to uphold its mandate to protect public safety and the environment. The board also will continue its work with the Government of Alberta in its review of the AER.

OOPSIE! WHERE DID AER/ENCANA’S MARK TAYLOR GO?

Slide from Ernst speaking events


Snap above taken July 12, 2019 of Mark Taylor’s spot on AER website.

Below is snap of Taylor’s page taken Oct 23, 2019:

Senior staff at Alberta Energy Regulator exit, restructuring on hold in wake of investigation reports by Jeffrey Jones, October 23, 2019, The Globe and Mail

Three of the Alberta Energy Regulator’s top executives have departed [Fired? Sent home with huge severance packages and bonuses? Notably Taylor for his work at the AER giving industry all the water it wants to frac Alberta with to hell and back? Why are none of the media succinctly explaining why these three execs are no longer?] the agency as it deals with the fallout from bombshell revelations about its previous chief executive officer’s role in a pricey side project.

The departures come as the AER puts a long-planned reorganization on hold while the provincial government’s new hand-picked board dissects the agency following the reports of three public investigations into the diversion of the regulator’s resources into the project, the details of which have shaken the confidence of the industry, the public and even staff. [Oh my gosh, the poor things! Why no mention of the hundreds if not thousands of Alberta landowners AER/ERCB/EUB staff abused for decades? Why no mention of AER’s repugnant lying and spying on innocent Albertans? Why no mention of AER violating Ernst’s Charter rights, judging her a criminal in writing without a trial, no evidence, no arrest by police, to try to scare her silent?]

In an e-mail to staff on Wednesday, interim chief executive officer Gord Lambert said Mark Taylor, executive vice-president of the operations division; Carol Crowfoot, executive vice-president of the strategy and regulatory division; and Stacey Schorr, executive vice-president of the stakeholder and government engagement division, have left the regulator. [The Globe and Mail sure makes it sound less ominous than what was reported in AER’s press release and the other media. Why?]

“The board was clear last week that our culture needs to evolve,” [Propagandize Much Mr. Lambert? What an insult to the many Albertans harmed and bullied by AER!] Mr. Lambert said in the e-mail, which was obtained by The Globe and Mail. “The board and I will work with leaders in the organization to bring about these changes. We want to move efficiently and thoughtfully as we chart the future path for the AER.”

Officials with the AER were not immediately available for comment.

Late last week, chairwoman Bev Yee told the regulator’s 1,200 employees that the board was “hitting pause” on the reorganization, dubbed “AER 2.0”, to rethink what changes are needed.

“Your board will be taking a deeper dive into how the AER operates and where we can make improvements to ensure any changes we make are made for the right reasons,” Ms. Yee said in a staff email. “We will be working with the Government of Alberta to manage the budget implications from taking this extra time.”

It is not known how long the work will take, or how much of a cut in budget and staff might be in the offing. Previously, the agency had been redesigning plans based on a budget cut of 18 per cent, according to AER documents.

The change of plans, and cuts to the senior executive ranks, show how the UCP government of Premier Jason Kenney is exerting more control [or just another scam set up to con Albertans who don’t like to think for themselves?] over the watchdog responsible for the province’s dominant industry, which has struggled with scandal [after scandal after scandal after scandal!] and a massive buildup in environmental liabilities [initiated and set up/enabled by EUB/ERCB/AER long before the crash of 2008, and current low energy prices] as the energy sector’s fortunes have suffered. Energy Minister Sonya Savage announced the government’s own review in early September, saying the approval process for projects takes too long compared with other jurisdictions. With that she announced a new board that includes two former senior government officials – Ms. Yee and Grant Sprague. Both were deputy ministers.

Work on AER 2.0 was entering its final stages. Just last week, Mr. Taylor told employees he believed the government and the AER were on the same page regarding the makeover, according to internal documents.

The agency planned to trim the number of directors and vice-presidents and had already decided who would fill the positions [more corporate crime-enabling govt higher ups?] that survived the purge, Mr. Taylor explained. The AER planned to announce these changes at the end of the month. Further, these executives would then appoint managers, with staff announcements to follow. The AER expected the shakeup to wrap next month. [What happened in the meantime Mark? Hanky Panky spill over?]

Mr. Lambert hosted a town hall meeting with staff on Oct. 9 to discuss conclusions of the probes into the actions of former CEO Jim Ellis and his allies in the controversial creation of a regulatory consultancy. During that call he said a new structure [Another foolish name change?] was expected before year end.

The AER has been widely expected to undergo cuts following the departure of Mr. Ellis, who resigned late last year amid the probes into the International Centre of Regulatory Excellence (ICORE). Investigators concluded that executives diverted the AER’s resources to ICORE, which was set up to bring them future private work and other perks.

They also described a toxic work environment in which employees who questioned the activities faced the threat of dismissal. Investigators said the industry-funded regulator was distracted from such priorities as dealing with a massive buildup in environmental liabilities tied to aging oil and gas wells.

During the town hall meeting, AER’s executives said the agency budget will be part of the provincial budget, to be tabled on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Ms. Yee confirmed in her email to staff that Mr. Lambert was not in the running as the AER sought a new CEO. He stepped into the job following the departure of Mr. Ellis in late 2018.

He had been overseeing the work on the reorganization for several months, according to one source close to the AER. The Globe has granted the source anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on the regulator’s behalf.

Refer also to:

Frac Water Orgy Announced by AER’s Mark Taylor (ex-manager Encana who lied to Rosebud, said Encana would never frac their drinking water). No Wonder AEP is Taking Water Licences Away from Farmers/Ranchers: AER grants 10 year blanket approval water licences; Companies need not know where they will frac, or how much they will frac or where they’ll get their water from. Companies “expected” to look at sources other than fresh drinking water, eg hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater, but not if contaminated with methane!

AER’s EMERGENCY COMMAND CENTRE SET UP 2.5 HRS AWAY! DON’T AER COMMAND STAFF WANT TO DAMAGE THEIR BRAINS? Encana’s Fox Creek blow out spewing 20,000,000,000 litres/day sour gas & condensate: Where’s the regulator? Ex-Encana VP Gerard Protti = AER Chair; Ex-Encana Manager Mark Taylor = AER VP Industry Operations

Someone else suing the Hanky-Panky-infested AER? AER past chair meeting with outside counsel Glenn Solomon of shutup-and-take-the-cash-and-water-tank-system-forever fame

Kenney’s $30 Million Bunker Hit by Bombshell! Alberta Auditor General report on investigation results into Energy Regulator’s global propaganda machine ICORE: AER inappropriately spent money on matters outside its mandate. Wrongfully used $5.4 Million of **industry’s** money! Includes investigation reports by Ethics & Public Interest Commissioners on ex CEO Jim Ellis. Why did the commissioners and media all report that it was “public” money hanky pankied with by Ellis et al? It was industry’s money! AER is 100% funded by the industry it deregulates and serves.

Mega list of bankrupt companies! Kenney’s $30 Million McCarthyism War Room renamed “Alberta Energy Information Centre” (AER’s 100%-industry-funded ass): PetroPimps’ Propaganda Hanky Panky Bunker to Spy ‘n Lie for CAPP ‘n Koch ‘n Encana ‘n Harper? Just New West Partnership cont’d?

Vomit bags needed to read these pro-polluter propaganda pieces: Albertans should take back to the streets to stand up for the AER & What A Revamped Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) SHOULD Look Like (After a Little History). “Should” is one of AER’s & industry’s beloved escape hatch words, used incessantly to avoid accountability and responsibility!

End game of AER/CAPP/Alberta’s putrid hundreds of billions in oilpatch liabilities stench has been known for decades. Yet another review not needed! Just get to work! Start cleaning up!

Pennsylvania’s criminal investigation of frac harm cover-upper DEP: AG Josh Shapiro seeking investigative grand jurors from seven counties. How does one get criminal investigation into Encana illegally frac’ing a community’s drinking water aquifers with AER & Alberta govt covering it up, and bullying and shaming the harmed families?

When will AER and CER clean this mess below up?

Deputy Environment Minister Bev Yee – who helped cover-up Encana’s crimes: diverting water without required permit under Water Act, illegal aquifer fracs, community-wide drinking water contamination & exploding water tower – appointed by Alberta gov’t to chair the AER in “steps to clean house.”

Oh Dirty Canada! NEB, led by corporate crime cover-upper Peter Watson, changed to CER, still led by corporate crime cover-upper Peter Watson with a bunch of lawyers tossed in

Oh right! They won’t! The Chairs are the ones that helped enable Encana’s crimes and life threatening drinking water pollution!

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