VICTORIA, British Columbia, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The government in the Canadian province of British Columbia announced that it updated 50-year-old laws governing the natural gas and petroleum sector.
"Growing investor confidence and technological advances are driving British Columbia's natural gas and petroleum sector forward and we need to ensure this growth has regulations that make sense for industry, stakeholders, the environment and all British Columbians," provincial Energy Minister Bill Bennett said in a statement.
The new measures call for more consistent environmental guidelines in the natural resource sector. It also gives landowners and First Nations opportunities to voice concerns to government officials.
The implementation of the Oil and Gas Activities Act repeals outdated legislation, including a pipeline act and oil and gas measures.
An appeal tribunal is established under the new measure to give opponents the chance to question decisions made by governing authorities, the provincial government said in a statement.
"These changes ensure British Columbia's largest resource revenue earner continues to prosper and create jobs, while enhancing our world-class environmental standards," added Bennett.
