Alberta Premier Ralph Klein has scorned a call from an environment group to slow down the pace of the province's oilsands development.

The Pembina Institute and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society released a report on Tuesday calling for a moratorium on oilsands development until a plan to protect the boreal forest in northeastern Alberta is developed.

Ralph Klein says the Pembina Institute 'should keep their noses out of anyone's business, especially businesses that want to take risks.'
(Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)

"The Pembina Institute should keep their noses out of anyone's business, especially businesses that want to take risks," Klein said Thursday.

"To have a long-range plan would be an interventionist kind of policy which says you either allow them or you don't allow them [to proceed]. The last thing we want to be is an interventionist government."

Klein said if oil companies want to risk their investments by developing oilsands projects and their plans meet environmental, social and economic requirements, he won't stand in their way.

NDP critic David Eggen, who supported the report's call for a comprehensive environmental plan, reacted strongly to Klein's comments.

"It seems pretty irresponsible for him to say that," Eggen said. "If the Tories don't want to make decisions about the future, maybe they should step aside and let the New Democrats take a shot at it."

This week, congressmen from Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina visited the province as the U.S. seeks to further tap the Alberta market. None were eager to see the pace of development slow down.

“I’ve always advocated that you could have economic development and at the same time protect the environment,” Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns said.

With files from the Canadian Press