Lacombe County Reeve Terry Engen has been appointed to the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board.
Engen will join six other board members and a chairman on the independent, quasi-judicial agency in charge of regulating the development of Alberta’s energy resources: oil, natural gas, oil sands, coal and pipelines. The five-year appointment was made earlier this month.
“I was asked if I would be interested quite a while ago,” said Engen, 48, who announced last month he would not seek re-election. “I certainly had some good talks with the chairman of the board (Dan McFadyen) and it just went from there.
“I felt very comfortable with the process with Dan. My first thoughts on Dan, he’s a very thorough chair and I think relationship-wise he will, I’m sure, be good to work with.”
A fifth generation farmer from the Eckville area, Engen isn’t expecting an easy job. The board regularly finds itself making decisions on contentious projects where emotions sometimes run high.
“I guess my background in municipal life was kind of a little bit of a lead-in to that role for sure.”
As reeve of Lacombe County, Engen has been involved in a number of highly charged public meetings surrounding future development around the lakes and the highway corridor. That experience will come in handy, he agreed.
Board members sit on panels during ERCB hearings and are also involved in setting regulatory policy, said ERCB spokesman Bob Curran. They can also be involved in special projects for the board.
Engen spent nine years on county council, the last six as reeve. He is a director and past-president of Hockey Alberta and one of the district presidents with the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties.
ERCB board members made between $201,000 and $244,000 in salaries and benefits, according to Alberta Energy’s 2008-09 annual report.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com