Directive 071: A Positive Step Forward for Emergency Preparedness in Alberta

The Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) recent update to Directive 071: Emergency Preparedness and Response, effective 2 February 2026, marks a meaningful evolution in how emergency risk is understood and managed across Alberta’s industrial sector.

Rather than viewing the revision as a compliance hurdle, it should be recognised for what it is: a constructive and forward-looking step that strengthens safety outcomes, improves environmental protection, and aligns Alberta more closely with international best practice.

Positive Development for Safety and the Environment

At its core, the revised Directive 071 reinforces a simple but important principle: effective emergency preparedness depends on understanding credible consequences.

By requiring approval holders to identify potential emergency scenarios through hazard identification and consequence analysis, the AER has strengthened the technical foundation of Emergency Management Programmes. Emergency planning informed by consequence rather than solely by qualitative hazard listings leads to clearer response triggers, more proportionate planning, and better coordination with local authorities.

From an environmental perspective, improved consequence understanding supports earlier intervention and better-informed response, reducing the likelihood of escalation and off-site impact. For communities, it provides greater confidence that emergency arrangements are grounded in a realistic appreciation of risk.

Taken together, these changes represent a net positive for Alberta.

Alignment with International Major Hazard Frameworks

The direction of travel under Directive 071 is consistent with well-established international approaches to managing major accident hazards.

European regimes such as the Seveso Directive, and national regulations such as COMAH (UK), D.Lgs. 105/2015 (Italy), 12. BlmSchV (Germany), and BRZO 2015 (Netherlands), have long embedded consequence-based thinking within emergency preparedness. These frameworks recognise that emergency response cannot be planned effectively without understanding how far, how fast, and how severely an incident could develop.

Alberta’s revised directive reflects those same principles and adapts them to local context. This signals a mature regulatory posture that draws on global experience rather than waiting for it to be imposed after an incident.

Choosing Proactive Over Reactive

Canada has been fortunate in avoiding the kind of catastrophic industrial incidents that have driven regulatory change elsewhere. Good fortune, however, is not a risk management strategy.

As facilities age, operations expand, and new technologies are introduced, risk profiles evolve. Emergency preparedness that relies primarily on historical performance or generic planning assumptions will inevitably lag reality.

Directive 071 encourages a more proactive approach to understand credible emergency scenarios before they occur, rather than explaining consequences after the fact. Experience from other jurisdictions shows that this shift - while sometimes uncomfortable - consistently leads to better outcomes.

Expanded Scope Across Alberta’s Energy Landscape

One of the most significant aspects of the revision is the expanded applicability of Directive 071. The updated requirements now extend to operations regulated under the:

• Oil and Gas Conservation Act
• Oil Sands Conservation Act
• Pipeline Act
• Coal Conservation Act
• Geothermal Resource Development Act
• Mineral Resources Development Act

The inclusion of geothermal, mining, and other non-traditional energy operations reflects the reality that major accident hazards are not confined to conventional oil and gas. Stored energy, hazardous inventories, and potential off-site impacts exist across sectors, and emergency preparedness expectations must be consistent and proportionate to risk.

Looking Ahead to February 2026

With the revised Directive 071 taking effect in February 2026, operators have time to review existing Emergency Management Programmes, identify gaps, and strengthen the technical basis of emergency preparedness.

Early engagement will allow changes to be integrated calmly and proportionately. Delayed action risks unnecessary pressure later.

Ultimately, the update to Directive 071 represents a measured, sensible evolution of Alberta’s emergency preparedness framework that improves safety and environmental protection while aligning with global best practice.

Handled well, it reinforces confidence in Alberta as a jurisdiction that chooses to be proactive, rather than reactive, in managing major accident hazards.