Places like Alberta and Saskatchewan already have many tens of thousands of abandoned wells, many of which were not closed down properly or at all, thus continuing to leak methane and toxic air and water. The auditor of Saskatchewan estimates this will cost $4 billion to clean up, while in Alberta the amount may be $48 billion. Nowhere has the industry put aside anywhere near enough money to cover this.  It’s likely that the federal government – meaning taxpayers – will have to bear the responsibility for this.