The Oilsands Environmental Coalition (OSEC), comprised of the Pembina Institute, Toxics Watch Society of Alberta and the Fort McMurray Environmental Association, will register itself as an intervener before a Joint Panel of the Alberta Energy Utilities Board (EUB) and the Government of Canada in Fort McMurray today. The Joint Panel is holding a public hearing that will determine whether or not the Imperial Kearl Oilsands Mine Project will receive regulatory approval.
OSEC is objecting to the project and requesting that the Joint Panel deny Imperial's application. OSEC will draw the Joint Panel's attention to the global warming consequences of rapidly growing greenhouse gas pollution, risks of additional fresh water withdrawals from the already strained Athabasca River and devastation of the forests in the Fort McMurray region - recently highlighted by the United Nations Environment Program as a global 'hotspot' of environmental degradation.
"Approval of the Kearl Oilsands Mine Project would cheat Albertans out of a fair economic return for the development of their resources, place even greater strains on the region's infrastructure and social services, and further degrade the region's air quality, fresh water resources, and boreal forest," notes Dan Woynillowicz, Senior Policy Analyst with the Pembina Institute. " Imperial hasn't adequately addressed the impacts of the project's greenhouse gas and air pollution, its impacts to the Athabasca River and its fisheries, and the uncertainties of reclaiming the land back to boreal forest."
"Albertans cannot be assured that government decisions about new oilsands projects are in their best interest until the royalty and tax regime is revised and a system of environmental limits is in place," says Chris Severson-Baker, Director of the Energy Watch program with the Pembina Institute. "The government of Alberta and the industry are lagging behind the pace of oilsands development and its strains on the economy, infrastructure, social services and the environment. Simply put, until they catch up and address existing concerns new projects should not be allowed to proceed."
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Main OSEC contact present in Fort McMurray:
Dan Woynillowicz
The Pembina Institute
Cell: 403-888-6272
Alternate OSEC contacts:
Chris Severson-Baker
The Pembina Institute
Tel: 403-269-3344 Ext. 101