Premier Rachel Notley says the federal government’s decision to give Alberta $30 million to remediate orphan wells is good news for the province.
The one-time funding was contained within the federal budget released Wednesday in Ottawa.
“This is money we have been strongly advocating for over the past few weeks and months,” Notley said.
“We will leverage this money to aim more resources at putting Albertans back to work and reclaiming orphan wells.”‘
A well is considered orphaned when its owner has gone out of business and can’t cover the reclamation cost. Improperly cleaned up wells can contaminate the land and water.
Notley says her government will have more details on what will be done with this money in the first half of 2017.
Notley is also pleased the federal government wants to spend $1.1 billion on critical upgrades to Indigenous communities including improvements to drinking water.
The Alberta NDP government is dedicating $100 million over four years to improving water on First Nations reserves.
The Trudeau government wants to end all boil-water orders on Canadian reserves by 2021.
Notley said the $7 billion allocated for child care spaces over 10 years will help her government expand its own program which is in the pilot stage.