The recommendations of the Oilsands Multistakeholder Committee released today by the Government of Alberta fail to address the main concerns of Albertans, according to the Pembina Institute. The final report was submitted to the Government of Alberta on June 30, 2007, and is currently being reviewed by the Ministers of Energy, Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. The Ministers have not yet responded to either the consensus or non-consensus recommendations of the committee.
"The consensus recommendations of the committee fail to address Albertans' number one concern: the runaway pace of oilsands development. Now it's up to Premier Stelmach to tackle this concern head-on and make a decision about slowing the pace of development," noted Dan Woynillowicz, a Senior Policy Analyst with the Pembina Institute and one of three environmentalists on the committee. "Unfortunately some members of the committee were more interested in defending the status quo than in addressing the growing concerns that Albertans have about how oilsands development is occurring."
The Pembina Institute's formal submission to the public consultation laid out a blueprint calling for a "pause" on new oilsands project approvals and lease sales until the Government of Alberta addresses six key requirements for responsible development (see Background below). In a recent poll of Albertans conducted by Probe Research for the Pembina Institute it was found that 71 per cent of Albertans believe that the Government of Alberta should suspend new oilsands approvals until infrastructure and environmental management issues have been addressed in areas affected by oilsands development. In addition, 74 per cent of Albertans believe that the government should manage the rate of oilsands development to meet the best long-term interests of Albertans. That compares to only 20 per cent who believe that market forces should decide the rate of oilsands development in Alberta.
"Albertans have made it clear that they aren't willing to write-off the environment for oilsands development," said Woynillowicz. "While some progress was made by the committee in making consensus recommendations regarding some of the environmental impacts arising from oilsands development, the majority are simply 'band aid' solutions. Ultimately these recommendations still fail to address the cumulative threats that oilsands development pose to our boreal forest, fresh water, air quality and climate."
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For more information:
Download Oilsands Fever - A Blueprint for Delivering on Albertans' Expectations
Dan Woynillowicz, Senior Policy Analyst
Cell: 403-538-7782
Background
The Pembina Institute's Blueprint for Responsible Oilsands Development outlines six key elements that serve as the basis for such a plan. These elements include:
- Limit Environmental Impacts: Apply science-based precautionary limits that tell us when ecosystems are threatened, so that we can make informed decisions about whether and how oilsands projects proceed.
- Address Cumulative Impacts: Improve the systems and approaches for monitoring and addressing the impacts of oilsands development on the climate, air, fresh water, boreal forest and wildlife.
- Focus on Quality of Life: Manage the rate of oilsands growth to maximize the benefits to Albertans' quality of life, and ensure that social services and infrastructure can keep pace.
- Think Like an Owner: Reform the oilsands royalty regime so that Albertans obtain maximum value from the development of the resources they own.
- Make Better Decisions for Albertans: Reform the Energy and Utilities Board's decision-making process so that the public interest comes first and only responsible oilsands projects proceed.
- Plan for the Future: Take advantage of Alberta's prosperity so as to build a more diversified, green and competitive future that includes low-impact renewable energies and responsible energy use.