An Alberta energy executive says saving lives was the only motive behind a staged-bombing last year.
The President of Alberta Energy Company, Gwyn Morgan, said at a news conference Monday that it was believed the blast would put pressure on the real vandals.
Alberta Energy Company has been criticized for conspiring with the RCMP to set off a bomb that blew up a shed at a gas well site last October.
Police hoped to raise public anger about the vandalism by spreading false information about the well-publicized explosion.
Morgan says he agreed to participate in the action to avoid injury or death in the future because the severity of attacks on industry sites had been escalating.
"Under these same circumstances, and without the benefit of knowing what the future would hold I ask you what would you have done, " Morgan said.
Morgan said his company was asked by the RCMP to take part in the plan. He was assured by the RCMP that the explosion would be safe and controlled and was told his cooperation was completely within the law.
And while he regrets the public had to be misled, Morgan said cooperating with the police was the "right thing to do" and what every law abiding Canadian has the obligation to do.
There have been 160 acts of vandalism against the oil industry in northern Alberta in the past two years.