Environmental groups are calling on the federal government to make public its plans for addressing the rapidly-increasing environmental impacts of oilsands development.
In a petition made to the Federal Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Prairie Acid Rain Coalition, Pembina Institute and Sierra Club of Canada are requesting an official response from the Government of Canada regarding recommendations made by a 19-member Multi-Stakeholder Committee to the Government of Alberta earlier this summer. The committee, which included representatives of the federal government, made numerous recommendations that require action on the part of the federal government. More than a month has passed since the committee's final recommendations were publicly released.
"The Federal Government needs to take an active role in managing the huge impacts of oilsands development," said Martha Kostuch, Chair of the Prairie Acid Rain Coalition. "But they have been absolutely silent on the recommendations that fall under their responsibility and jurisdiction."
Recommendations regarding greenhouse gas pollution and global warming, air pollution, the Athabasca River and its fishery, environmental assessment, and First Nations consultation and accommodation are included in the petition.
"We don't hear from the federal government about the oilsands except when we learn about loopholes in their proposed environmental regulations," said Dan Woynillowicz, a Senior Policy Analyst with the Pembina Institute. "To date, the federal government has failed to require the oilsands sector to take responsibility for its environmental impacts. This is holding Canada back from having effective climate change and air quality regulations that live up to Canadians' expectations."
"The Prime Minister needs to step up and let Canadians know whether he represents their interests or those of the oil industry when it comes to the environment," noted Lindsay Telfer, Prairie Chapter Director of the Sierra Club of Canada. "Canadians are becoming increasingly aware that the environmental impacts from mismanaged oilsands development go beyond Alberta's boundaries."
The federal government is also overdue in delivering a response to Parliament regarding the recommendations in the report The Oilsands - Toward Sustainable Development, which was tabled by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources in March. Recommendations of the report included setting absolute caps rather than intensity-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas pollution, conducting a comprehensive cumulative environmental impact assessment, and enhancing research to determine the true impacts of oilsands development on the Athabasca River and Aboriginal fisheries in the Peace-Athabasca Delta.
The Prairie Acid Rain Coalition, Pembina Institute and Sierra Club of Canada represented the environmental community on the Oilsands Multistakeholder Committee.
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For More Information:
Download the petition.
Martha Kostuch
Prairie Acid Rain Coalition
Tel: 403-845-9720
Dan Woynillowicz
The Pembina Institute
Tel: 403-888-6272
Lindsay Telfer
Sierra Club of Canada
Tel: 780-710-0136
Background
In May 2006 the Government of Alberta established the Oilsands Multistakeholder Committee to conduct a public consultation and deliver recommendations on oilsands development. The 19-member Committee included representatives from the Government of Alberta, Government of Canada, the oilsands industry, First Nations and Metis, municipal government and environmental Organizations. The Committee delivered its final report to the Government of Alberta on June 30, 2007.
For more information and to download the report visit:
www.oilsandsconsultations.gov.ab.ca
and
www.oilsandsconsultations.gov.ab.ca/docs/FinalReport_MSCReport-lowres-july24.pdf
On March 26, 2007 the Standing Committee on Natural Resources presented The Oilsands - Toward Sustainable Development to the House of Commons. The report included 22 recommendations to the federal government. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this Report within 120 days. The government's response was therefore due by July 24, 2007. While the House of Commons is currently adjourned, a process referred to as "back door tabling" allows matters such as the federal government's comprehensive response The Oilsands - Toward Sustainable Development report to be tabled on specific days. The government missed its first opportunity to do so on August 22, 2007.
The full report The Oilsands - Toward Sustainable Development is available at: cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteeList.aspx?Lang=1&PARLSES=391&JNT=0&SELID=e24_&COM=10803
Environmental petition process allows Canadians to bring concerns about the environment and sustainable development to the attention of federal ministers, and obtain a timely response. Petitions are submitted to the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development, an office of the Auditor General of Canada, who directs it to the Ministers responsible for the issues addressed in the petition. Once a Minister receives the petition he/she has 120 days to provide a substantive reply to the Petitioner.
For more information on the environmental petition process see:
www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/domino/cesd_cedd.nsf/html/petitions_e.html