Subnational Responses to Fracking in Canada: Explaining Saskatchewan's “Wild West” Regulatory Approach |
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| Authors: | Angela V. Carter Emily M. Eaton |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada;2. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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| Abstract: | This article assesses the regulatory response to fracking by Saskatchewan, Canada's second largest oil‐producing province. Public officials and industry representatives claim fracking regulations are “comprehensive” and “robust”; however, there has been no comparative assessment of this claim. To address this gap, we outline the dominant regulatory pathways of U.S. states and Canadian provinces, ranging from applying existing regulations with minimal revisions, to enacting broader revisions or bans. We account for this variation using a framework from Davis ( 2012 ) emphasizing governments’ dependence on the oil sector, the level of support for fracking among elected officials and policy makers, and the influence of key “constituencies.” The article then traces the growth and impact of fracking in Saskatchewan and analyzes new trends in the province's regulation of fracking. Given the province's application of existing regulations with minimal revisions and active weakening of enforcement, we identify Saskatchewan as taking Rabe and Borick's ( 2013 ) “conventional” regulatory approach, typical of Davis's “energy dominant” states. |
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| Keywords: | energy environment governance comparative governance |
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