This release was issued under a previous government.
“We have built a team that brings a wealth of experience in many fields to usher in a new era of energy regulating for the province,” said Energy Minister Ken Hughes. “This team will ensure that Alberta is a leader in balancing resource growth with our strong commitments to the environment and to landowner rights.”
The part-time hearing commissioners include Terry C. Engen and Jurgen Preugshas, who bring generations of farming experience to the regulator, and Dr. Steve Hrudey, professor emeritus at the University of Alberta and a recognized authority on drinking water safety and environmental contaminant exposure assessments. Appointees Cecilia Low and Lorne J. Ternes bring lengthy experience as lawyers practising in environmental, Aboriginal and trade law. John Lawson, who served for more than 21 years with the Government of Yukon, will bring a strong background in public service to the regulator, having served as Deputy Minister of Justice, Consumer and Corporate Affairs and Executive Council.
The independent hearing commissioners will sit on panels, conduct hearings and make decisions on energy resource project applications, reconsiderations, inquires and appeals. Commissioners will also have a role in the alternative dispute resolution process.
With a mandate to provide for the efficient, safe, orderly and environmentally responsible development of energy resources, the Alberta Energy Regulator is responsible for regulating the life cycle of an energy project from application and construction to production, abandonment, and reclamation.
Our government was elected to keep building Alberta, to live within its means and to fight to open new markets for Alberta’s resources. We will continue to deliver the responsible change Albertans voted for.
Backgrounder: Hearing Commissioner biographies
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Bart Johnson
Communications Director
Energy
780-422-3667
[email protected]
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
Backgrounder
July 25, 2013Hearing Commissioner biographies
Terry C. Engen
Terry C. Engen is a fifth-generation farmer. His background includes two years of adjudicative and regulatory experience in the oil and gas sector, nine years of municipal experience, which included service in director/chairman roles on various organizations, 21 years as an owner/operator in the construction industry, and more than 30 years of active community involvement. He is recognized for his leadership skills and his ability to build collaborative relationships with government agencies and the community.
Jurgen Preugschas
Jurgen Preugschas has more than 40 years of farming experience. He owns and operates a 3000-acre family farm near Mayerthorpe. The main part of the operation is a 300-sow nucleus herd for Peak Swine Genetics Inc., of which Mr. Preugschas is a founding shareholder and director.
Mr. Preugschas has more than 35 years of extensive board experience. He has served as director of the Alberta Swine Breeders Association, chairman of Canadian Pork Council, and was recently elected to the executive of the International Meat Secretariat.
Dr. Steve E. Hrudey
Dr. Steve Hrudey is a professor emeritus at the University of Alberta. He has maintained a diverse, interdisciplinary career in the environmental health sciences and risk management fields, and has been widely praised for his practical and valuable research. In 2013, Dr. Hrudey was the recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta Research Excellence Award. Recognized as an authority on water issues, his research has focused on drinking water safety and environmental contaminant exposure assessments. His involvement with the Walkerton Inquiry in Ontario led to the co-authoring of the bestselling 2004 book, Safe Drinking Water - Lessons from Recent Outbreaks in Affluent Nations.
In addition to Dr. Hrudey’s research and teaching career, he has been active in public policy, spending 13 years as a member of the Alberta Environment Appeals Board (EAB), including four years as chair. During his appointments with the EAB, Dr. Hrudey received extensive mediation training from the Harvard-MIT Consensus Building Institute.
Cecilia Low
Cecilia Low has a strong record in environmental, regulatory, and aboriginal law. Her professional history includes working in the British Columbia Court of Appeal, practising law in B.C. and Alberta, as well as providing legal and regulatory advice for Enbridge Pipelines. She also prepared two papers for publication during her tenure at the Canadian Institute of Resources Law. Ms. Low holds a bachelor’s and master’s of law from the University of Calgary.
Lorne J. Ternes
Lorne Ternes is a lawyer specializing in Aboriginal, intergovernmental, and trade law. A passionate lawyer and negotiator, he is also involved with a consulting and management firm specializing in Aboriginal issues focused on collaborative, positive issues resolution.
Early in his career, Mr. Ternes worked as a land agent, acquiring surface and mineral rights throughout western Canada. As an expert legal officer with Alberta Justice from 1989 to 1998, Mr. Ternes provided legal advice on Métis issues, several treaty and specific claims, and general Aboriginal and treaty rights. In addition, Mr. Ternes was responsible for several trade and constitutional files including appointments as Counsel to Alberta’s Agreement on Internal Trade negotiation team and as an Alberta Counsel on the Continuing Committee on the Constitution (Charlottetown Accord).
John Lawson
John Lawson brings a long history of public service to the Alberta Energy Regulator. During more than 21 years with the Government of Yukon, he served as Deputy Minister of several departments, including Justice, Tourism, Consumer and Corporate Affairs, and Executive Council. He also served as the president of the Yukon Energy Corporation and has been president of the Lawson Trading Company since 1997.
In addition to Mr. Lawson’s career history, he has been active in a variety of community and public interest associations, including the Southern Alberta Land Trust Society and the Alberta Environmental Law Centre. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Alberta and a master’s degree in public administration from Queen’s University, as well as training from the Banff Centre for Management.
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Bart Johnson
Communications Director
Energy
780-422-3667
[email protected]
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.