Mike De Souza
“‘Secret’ Environment Canada presentation warns of oilsands’ impact on habitat”
Postmedia News
21 December 2011
Contamination of a major western Canadian river basin from oilsands operations is a “high-profile concern” for downstream communities and wildlife, says a newly-released “secret” presentation prepared last spring by Environment Canada that highlighted numerous warnings about the industry’s growing footprint on land, air, water and the climate.
The warnings from the department contrast with recent claims made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister Peter Kent that the industry is being unfairly targeted by environmentalists who exaggerate its impacts on nature and people.
The presentation noted figures from the Canadian Energy Research Institute, a collaboration among industry, government and academics, that estimate the oilsands sector is responsible for more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in Canada, and will contribute more than $1.7 trillion to the country’s economy over the next 25 years.
But it warned that Alberta and other parts of Western Canada are facing a steep economic and ecological price tag for failing to crack down on the industry’s collateral damage.
“Contamination of the Athabasca River is a high-profile concern,” said the presentation, marked secret, but released to Postmedia News through access to information legislation.
“Recent studies suggest elevated levels of pollutants near mining sites including hydrocarbons and heavy metals . . . (It) raises questions about possible effects on health of wildlife and downstream communities.”
The presentation was produced in May as a government-wide oilsands task force continued to develop a new science-based monitoring program to get specifics on the impacts of oil extraction from the bitumen deposits in Western Canada that are also known as tarsands because of their tar-like appearance and odour. The deposits are considered to hold one of the largest reserves of oil in the world, but existing technology forces producers to use large quantities of water and energy, while disrupting natural ecosystems to extract the fuel from the ground.
“Bitumen extraction uses between one (in situ) and three to four (mining) barrels of fresh (i.e. Not recycled) water per barrel of oil recovered,” said the document. “Industry demand for water is expected to increase.”
A related Environment Canada document, also produced in May and released earlier this month to Postmedia News, warned the government that the industry’s economic future was in jeopardy because of a lack of “credible scientific information” required to counter campaigns and foreign regulations or legislation that crack down on products and industries with poor environmental performance.
In recent years, Harper’s government has repeatedly pledged to deliver new regulations for the sector, but has subsequently delayed those plans.
The latest document singles out the oilsands sector as the main obstacle in Canada’s efforts to reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere and cause climate change.
“The oilsands are Canada’s fastest growing source of GHGs,” said the document.
It estimated that the industry’s annual greenhouse gas emissions would rise by nearly 900 per cent from 1990 to 2020. By the end of that period, the oilsands - with an estimated annual footprint of 90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent gases in 2020 - would exceed the carbon footprint of all cars and SUVs on Canadian roads from 2008, according to the Environment Canada document.
The document also warns of other rising air pollutants that could cause acid rain or other forms of acidification to damage lakes in Saskatchewan and Alberta, along with particulate matter that could be toxic to rivers, the landscape and wildlife.
“Oilsands development will continue to put pressure on vulnerable species (e.g. Woodland Caribou),” said the document. “Removal of landscape features for mining reduces available habitat.”
It also said that changes to existing habitat prompted by industrial activity would also threaten forest species, as well as water-dwelling species that are already seeing major changes to their own habitat.
“Low flow conditions could damage fish habitat, especially during winter,” said the document. “River flow has decreased over (the) past thirty years (and the) trend is expected to continue.”
Graham Saul, executive director of Climate Action Network, a coalition of environmental, faith-based and labour groups, said the warnings from Environment Canada suggest that Harper and Kent should stop trying to defend the environmental record of the oil and gas industry, making claims that the oilsands represent a “responsibly and sustainably developed resource.”
“It’s clear that there’s nothing ethical about this level of environmental destruction and greenhouse gas pollution,” said Saul. “The government seems to know the level of destruction associated with the tarsands and yet they’re presenting a very different face to the public and in reality, there seems to be a massive gap between what they know to be an extremely destructive project and a policy agenda that is essentially seeking to promote the rapid expansion of the tarsands.”
Environment Canada has been working on improving its monitoring programs on impacts of development on land, air and water as part of a process launched by former minister Jim Prentice, in collaboration with Alberta.
Kent unveiled details of the plan in July, suggesting at the time that industry should be able to pick up the estimated $50 million annual costs since they were expected to generate $80 billion in the next year.
Janet Annesley, vice-president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, an industry lobby group, said she didn’t see any “new” information in the statements from the Environment Canada document, but noted that the industry “generally agrees” with a report released last year by the Royal Society of Canada that also concluded there was a need for further monitoring, research and review of impacts.
Mike De Souza
“ Oilsands impact
‘Secret high-profile concern’ :
Environment Canada presentation warns of oilsands’ impact on
habitat report clashes with Tory claims”
Postmedia News
Ottawa Citizen
21 December
22 Decmber
2011
A3
Contamination of a major western Canadian river basin from
oilsands operations is a “high-profile concern” for downstream
communities and wildlife, says a newly- newly
released “secret” presentation by Environment
Canada.
The report,
prepared last spring by Environment Canada
that spring, highlighted numerous warnings about the
industry’s growing footprint on land, air, water and the climate.
The warnings from the department contrast with recent claims made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister Peter Kent that the industry is being unfairly targeted by environmentalists who exaggerate its impacts on nature and people.
The presentation noted figures from the Canadian Energy Research Institute, a collaboration among industry, government and academics, that estimate the oilsands sector is responsible for more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in Canada, and will contribute more than $1.7 trillion to the country’s economy over the next 25 years.
But it warned that Alberta and other parts of Western Canada are facing a steep economic and ecological price tag for failing to crack down on the industry’s collateral damage.
“Contamination of the Athabasca River is a high-profile concern,” said the presentation, marked secret, but released to Postmedia News through access to information legislation.
“Recent studies suggest elevated levels of pollutants near mining
sites including hydrocarbons and heavy metals . .
. - (It) raises questions about possible effects on
health of wildlife and downstream communities.”
The presentation was produced in May as a government-wide oilsands task force continued to develop a new science-based monitoring program to get specifics on the impacts of oil extraction from the bitumen deposits in Western Canada that are also known as tarsands because of their tar-like appearance and odour. The deposits are considered to hold one of the largest reserves of oil in the world, but existing technology forces producers to use large quantities of water and energy, while disrupting natural ecosystems to extract the fuel from the ground.
“Bitumen extraction uses between one (in situ) and three to four (mining) barrels of fresh (i.e. Not recycled) water per barrel of oil recovered,” said the document. “Industry demand for water is expected to increase.”
A related Environment Canada document, also produced in May and
released earlier this month to Postmedia
News, month, warned the government that the industry’s
economic future was in jeopardy because of a lack of “credible
scientific information” required to counter campaigns and foreign
regulations or legislation that crack down on products and industries
with poor environmental performance.
In recent years, Harper’s government has repeatedly pledged to deliver new regulations for the sector, but has subsequently delayed those plans.
The latest document singles out the oilsands sector as the main obstacle in Canada’s efforts to reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere and cause climate change.
“The oilsands are Canada’s fastest growing source of GHGs,” said the document.
It estimated that the industry’s annual greenhouse gas emissions would rise by nearly 900 per cent from 1990 to 2020. By the end of that period, the oilsands - with an estimated annual footprint of 90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent gases in 2020 - would exceed the carbon footprint of all cars and SUVs on Canadian roads from 2008, according to the Environment Canada document.
The document also warns of other rising air pollutants that could cause acid rain or other forms of acidification to damage lakes in Saskatchewan and Alberta, along with particulate matter that could be toxic to rivers, the landscape and wildlife.
“Oilsands development will continue to put pressure on vulnerable species (e.g. Woodland Caribou),” said the document. “Removal of landscape features for mining reduces available habitat.”
It also said that changes to existing habitat prompted by industrial activity would also threaten forest species, as well as water-dwelling species that are already seeing major changes to their own habitat.
“Low flow conditions could damage fish habitat, especially during winter,” said the document. “River flow has decreased over (the) past thirty years (and the) trend is expected to continue.”
Graham Saul, executive director of Climate Action Network, a coalition
of environmental, faith-based and labour groups, said the warnings from
Environment Canada suggest that Harper and Kent should stop trying to
defend the environmental record of the oil and gas industry, making
claims that the oilsands represent a “responsibly and sustainably
developed resource.”
“It’s clear that there’s nothing ethical about this level of
environmental destruction and greenhouse gas pollution,” said Saul. “The
government seems to know the level of destruction associated with the
tarsands and yet they’re presenting a very different face to the public
and in reality, there seems to be a massive gap between what they know
to be an extremely destructive project and a policy agenda that is
essentially seeking to promote the rapid expansion of the tarsands.”
Environment Canada has been working on improving its monitoring programs
on impacts of development on land, air and water as part of a process
launched by former minister Jim Prentice, in collaboration with Alberta.
Kent unveiled details of the plan in July, suggesting at the time that
industry should be able to pick up the estimated $50 million annual
costs since they were expected to generate $80 billion in the next year.
Janet Annesley, vice-president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum
Producers, an industry lobby group, said she didn’t see any “new”
information in the statements from the Environment Canada document, but
noted that the industry “generally agrees” with a report released last
year by the Royal Society of Canada that also concluded there was a need
for further monitoring, research and review of impacts.
Mike De Souza
“‘Secret’ Environment Canada
presentation Ottawa flags oilsands impact: Pollution of
Athabasca River has ecological, economic costs, federal report
warns of oilsands’ impact on habitat”
Postmedia News
Edmonton Journal
21 December
22 Dec
2011
A1
Contamination of a major western Canadian river the
Athabasca River basin from oilsands operations is a “high-profile
concern” for downstream communities and wildlife, says a
newly- newly released “secret” presentation
prepared last spring by Environment Canada that highlighted numerous
warnings about the industry’s growing footprint on land, air, water and
the climate.
The warnings from the department contrast with recent claims
made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister
Peter Kent that the industry is being unfairly targeted by
environmentalists who exaggerate its impacts on nature and people.
The presentation noted figures from the Canadian Energy Research Institute, a collaboration among industry, government and academics, that estimate the oilsands sector is responsible for more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in Canada, and will contribute more than $1.7 trillion to the country’s economy over the next 25 years.
But it warned that Alberta and other parts of Western Canada are facing a steep economic and ecological price tag for failing to crack down on the industry’s collateral damage.
“Contamination of the Athabasca River is a
high-profile pro-file concern,” said the
presentation, marked secret, secret but released to
Postmedia News through access to information legislation.
“Recent studies suggest elevated levels of pollutants near mining
sites including hydrocarbons and heavy metals . .
. … (It) raises questions about possible effects on
health of wildlife and downstream communities.”
The presentation was produced in May as a
government-wide govern-mentwide oilsands task force
continued to develop a new science-based monitoring program to get
specifics on the impacts of oil extraction from the bitumen deposits
in
Western Canada that are also known as tarsands because of their tar-like appearance and odour.
The deposits are considered to hold one of the largest reserves of oil in the world, but existing technology forces producers to use large quantities of water and energy, while disrupting natural ecosystems to extract the fuel from the ground.
“Bitumen extraction uses between one (in situ) and three to four
(mining) barrels of fresh (i.e. Not , not recycled)
water per barrel of oil recovered,” said the document. “Industry demand
for water is expected to increase.”
A related Environment Canada document, also produced in May and
released earlier this month to
Postmedia Post-media News, warned the government
that the industry’s economic future was in jeopardy because of a lack of
“credible scientific information” required to counter campaigns and
foreign regulations or legislation that crack down on products and
industries with poor environmental performance.
In recent years, Harper’s government has repeatedly pledged to
deliver new regulations for the sector, sec-tor,
but has subsequently delayed those plans.
The latest document singles out the oilsands sector as the main obstacle in Canada’s efforts to reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere and cause climate change.
“The oilsands are Canada’s fastest growing source of GHGs,” said the document.
It estimated that the industry’s annual greenhouse
greenhouse-gas emissions would rise by nearly 900 per
cent from 1990 to 2020. By the end of that period, the oilsands - with
an estimated annual footprint of 90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide
equivalent gases in 2020 - would exceed the carbon footprint of all cars
and SUVs on Canadian roads from 2008, according to the Environment
Canada document.
The document also warns of other rising air pollutants that could cause acid rain or other forms of acidification to damage lakes in Saskatchewan and Alberta, along with particulate matter that could be toxic to rivers, the landscape and wildlife.
“Oilsands development will continue to put pressure on vulnerable
species (e.g. Woodland Caribou) , woodland
caribou),” said the document. “Removal of landscape features for
mining reduces available habitat.”
It also said that changes to existing habitat prompted by industrial activity would also threaten forest species, as well as water-dwelling species that are already seeing major changes to their own habitat.
“Low flow conditions could damage dam-age fish
habitat, especially during winter,” said the document. “River flow has
decreased over (the) past thirty years (and the) trend is expected to
continue.”
Graham Saul, executive director of Climate Action Network, a
coalition of environmental, faith-based and labour groups, said the
warnings from Environment Canada suggest that Harper and Kent should
stop trying to defend the environmental record of the oil and gas
industry, making claims that the oilsands
represent rep-resent a “responsibly and sustainably
developed resource.”
“It’s clear that there’s nothing ethical about this level of
environmental destruction and greenhouse
greenhouse-gas pollution,” said Saul. “The government
seems to know the level of destruction associated with the tarsands and
yet they’re presenting a very different face to the public and in
reality, there seems to be a massive gap between what they know to be an
extremely destructive project and a policy agenda that is essentially
seeking to promote the rapid expansion of the tarsands.”
Environment Canada has been working on improving its monitoring programs on impacts of development on land, air and water as part of a process launched by former minister Jim Prentice, in collaboration with Alberta.
Kent unveiled details of the plan in July, suggesting at the time
that industry should be able to pick up the estimated $50
$50-million annual costs since they were expected to
generate $80 billion in the next year.
Janet Annesley, vice-president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, an industry lobby group, said she didn’t see any “new” information in the statements from the Environment Canada document, but noted that the industry “generally agrees” with a report released last year by the Royal Society of Canada that also concluded there was a need for further monitoring, research and review of impacts.
Mike De Souza
“‘Secret’ Environment Canada presentation warns of
oilsands’ impact effect on
habitat habitat: Environment Canada report says river is
in danger”
Postmedia News
Calgary Herald
21
22
December 2011
A5
Contamination of a major western Western
Canadian river basin from oilsands operations is a “high-profile
concern” for downstream communities and wildlife, says a
newly-released “secret” presentation prepared last spring by
Environment Canada that highlighted highlights
numerous warnings about the industry’s growing footprint on land, air,
water and the climate.
The warnings from the department contrast with recent claims made by
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister Peter Kent that
the industry is being unfairly targeted by environmentalists who
exaggerate its impacts effects on nature and
people.
The presentation noted figures from the Canadian Energy Research
Institute, a collaboration among industry, government and academics,
that estimate the oilsands sector is responsible for more than 100,000
direct and indirect jobs in Canada, Canada and will
contribute more than $1.7 trillion to the country’s economy over the
next 25 years.
But it warned that Alberta and other parts of Western Canada are facing a steep economic and ecological price tag for failing to crack down on the industry’s collateral damage.
“Contamination of the Athabasca River is a high-profile concern,”
said the presentation, marked secret, but released to Postmedia News
through access to access-to-information
legislation.
“Recent studies suggest elevated levels of pollutants near mining
sites including hydrocarbons and heavy
metals metals. . . . (It) raises questions about
possible effects on health of wildlife and downstream communities.”
Janet Annesley, vice-president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, an industry lobby group, said she didn’t see any “new” information in the statements from the Environment Canada document, but noted that the industry “generally agrees” with a report released last year by the Royal Society of Canada that also concluded there was a need for further monitoring, research and review of impacts.
The presentation was produced in May as a government-wide oilsands task force continued to develop a new science-based monitoring program to get specifics on the impacts of oil extraction from the bitumen deposits in Western Canada that are also known as tarsands because of their tar-like appearance and odour. The deposits are considered to hold one of the largest reserves of oil in the world, but existing technology forces producers to use large quantities of water and energy, while disrupting natural ecosystems to extract the fuel from the ground.
“Bitumen extraction uses between one (in situ) and three to four (mining) barrels of fresh (i.e. Not recycled) water per barrel of oil recovered,” said the document. “Industry demand for water is expected to increase.”
A related Environment Canada document, also produced in May and released earlier this month to Postmedia News, warned the government that the industry’s economic future was in jeopardy because of a lack of “credible scientific information” required to counter campaigns and foreign regulations or legislation that crack down on products and industries with poor environmental performance.
In recent years, Harper’s government has repeatedly pledged to deliver new regulations for the sector, but has subsequently delayed those plans.
The latest document singles out the oilsands sector as the main obstacle in Canada’s efforts to reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere and cause climate change.
“The oilsands are Canada’s fastest growing source of GHGs,” said the document.
It estimated that the industry’s annual greenhouse gas emissions would rise by nearly 900 per cent from 1990 to 2020.
By the end of that period, the oilsands - with an estimated annual footprint of 90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent gases in 2020 - would exceed the carbon footprint of all cars and SUVs on Canadian roads from 2008, according to the Environment Canada document.
The document also warns of other rising air pollutants that could cause
acid rain or other forms of acidification to damage lakes in
Saskatchewan and Alberta, along with particulate matter that could be
toxic to rivers, the landscape and wildlife.
“Oilsands development will continue to put pressure on vulnerable
species (e.g. Woodland Caribou),” said the document. “Removal of
landscape features for mining reduces available habitat.”
It also said that changes to existing habitat prompted by industrial
activity would also threaten forest species, as well as water-dwelling
species that are already seeing major changes to their own habitat.
“Low flow conditions could damage fish habitat, especially during
winter,” said the document. “River flow has decreased over (the) past
thirty years (and the) trend is expected to continue.”
Graham Saul, executive director of Climate Action Network, a coalition
of environmental, faith-based and labour groups, said the warnings from
Environment Canada suggest that Harper and Kent should stop trying to
defend the environmental record of the oil and gas industry, making
claims that the oilsands represent a “responsibly and sustainably
developed resource.”
“It’s clear that there’s nothing ethical about this level of
environmental destruction and greenhouse gas pollution,” said Saul. “The
government seems to know the level of destruction associated with the
tarsands and yet they’re presenting a very different face to the public
and in reality, there seems to be a massive gap between what they know
to be an extremely destructive project and a policy agenda that is
essentially seeking to promote the rapid expansion of the tarsands.”
Environment Canada has been working on improving its monitoring programs
on impacts of development on land, air and water as part of a process
launched by former minister Jim Prentice, in collaboration with Alberta.
Kent unveiled details of the plan in July, suggesting at the time that
industry should be able to pick up the estimated $50 million annual
costs since they were expected to generate $80 billion in the next year.
Janet Annesley, vice-president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum
Producers, an industry lobby group, said she didn’t see any “new”
information in the statements from the Environment Canada document, but
noted that the industry “generally agrees” with a report released last
year by the Royal Society of Canada that also concluded there was a need
for further monitoring, research and review of impacts.