The Oilsands Environmental Coalition (OSEC), comprised of the Pembina Institute, Toxics Watch Society of Alberta and the Fort McMurray Environmental Association, will appear before the Alberta Energy Utilities Board (EUB) in Fort McMurray today on the first day of a public hearing that will determine whether or not the Suncor Voyageur Upgrader and Steepbank Mine Extension will receive regulatory approval.
OSEC will draw the EUB's attention to the consequences of rapidly growing greenhouse gas emissions, further degradation of air quality from increased emissions of other pollutants, and further degradation of the boreal forest region of Alberta linked to the Suncor expansion project and other oilsands projects. The EUB should only approve the project if it deems it to be in the public interest and with stringent conditions to address these issues.
"Suncor's plan would place another huge burden on the climate, the region's strained infrastructure and its air, land, and water resources," notes Chris Severson-Baker, Energy Watch Program Director, Pembina Institute, "Suncor is simply not providing the leadership necessary to find solutions to avoid the negative consequences of oilsands development."
Rapidly growing greenhouse gas emissions
With no clear prospect of federal or provincial regulations limiting greenhouse gases from large industrial polluters, OSEC is calling on the EUB to require as a condition of approval that Suncor reduce and/or offset a significant portion of the project's greenhouse gas emissions when the project begins and to achieve net zero release of greenhouse gases by 2020.
"Canada's international reputation is suffering from our continued rapid growth in greenhouse gas emissions and Suncor's oilsands operations are among the biggest contributors," notes Pembina Institute's Executive Director, Dr. Marlo Raynolds. "Without a strong voluntary greenhouse gas reduction target Suncor can no longer be characterized as a leader in tackling climate change."
Degradation of air quality from increased emissions of other pollutants
Rising air pollution from current and proposed oilsands operations over the next two decades will expose people and the environment to increased risk of adverse health and ecological impacts. Over the past 5 years OSEC members have worked collaboratively with industry, government, and Aboriginal groups to put in place an acidifying emission management framework designed to prevent acidification of the region's soil and water bodies. The framework calls on industry to use best available demonstrated technology for new and existing emission sources to slow the rise of acidifying pollutants in the region.
"Contrary to the acidifying emissions framework, the proposed Suncor project would use standard pollution control technology,"commented Myles Kitagawa, Associate Director of the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta. "Utilization of best available demonstrated technology to minimize growth of acidifying emissions should become an EUB condition for any new oilsands project."
Degradation of the boreal forest region of Alberta
The cumulative impact of oilsands development represents a significant disturbance to the boreal forest ecosystem in Alberta. The proposed scale of development in the oilsands region is proceeding without effective land use planning or establishment of representative protected areas by government. This is contrary to the long-term sustainability of this ecosystem, and especially to the ecological integrity of the local and regional landscapes where oilsands developments are proposed to occur.
"If approved, the Suncor Voyageur Upgrader and Steepbank Mine Expansion will add 3,886 ha of new impacts to the region's boreal forest," commented Simon Dyer, a Senior Policy Analyst with the Pembina Institute. "With regional projections of wildlife species in decline and in the absence of scientifically sound limits for boreal forest impacts, it is inappropriate to approve this project at this time."
Main OSEC contacts present in Fort McMurray:
Chris Severson-Baker, Pembina Institute, 403-899-7423
Myles Kitagawa, Toxics Watch Society of Alberta, 780-907-1231
Alternate OSEC contacts:
Simon Dyer, Pembina Institute, 403-721-3937
Marlo Raynolds, Pembina Institute, 403-607-9427