The Board for the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is stepping into the spotlight.

Board Chair David Goldie says the Directors are requesting an impartial third party to look into AER’s handling of incidents at Imperial Oil’s Kearl Oil Sands facility.

The Board is issuing a Request for Quotations (RFQ) and expects the review to take up to 90 days following the award of a contract.

The terms of the RFQ relate to potential issues with notification and timing of notification to Indigenous communities and other stakeholders along with potential process issues.

“I have been in regular contact with AER CEO Laurie Pushor, and he assures me he welcomes this third-party review,” writes Chair David Goldie in a web statement.

The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) and Mikisew Cree First Nation have both expressed concerns over the AER’s handling of the Kearl incidents.

During a media conference earlier this month, ACFN Chief Allan Adam said that AER failed to protect the public.

Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas also called for the province to look into whether or not processes were followed in addressing the issues at Kearl.

The Board of the AER says they will have no further comments on the matter until they have reviewed the findings of a report.