Suncor’s Fort Hills Expansion Is Reconsidered by Regulator (1)

The Alberta Energy Regulator is reconsidering approval of a plan allowing Suncor Energy Inc. to extend its Fort Hills oil-sands mine into nearby wetlands after pressure from an environmental group.

The AER in September approved Suncor’s plan for protecting certain portions of the McClelland Lake Wetlands Complex, a necessary step for allowing mining to expand in the area. The agency said in an email that it’s now reconsidering that approval.

Trucks at Suncor Energy Inc. Fort Hills mine near Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Photographer: Ben Nelms/Bloomberg

The Alberta Wilderness Association had asked the regulator to revoke the permission after findingdeficiencies in Suncor’s plan that pose “a serious risk” to the wetlands.

Suncor hasn’t been ...