Proposed rules for oilsands water-removal inadequate: First Nations
Wants Athabasca protected during low flow
By Hanneke Brooymans,
edmontonjournal.com
July 23, 2010
EDMONTON — First Nations in northeastern Alberta have problems with a proposed management system for the Athabasca River that would allow oilsands operators to withdraw water during critical times of low flows.
The recommended water-withdrawal rules were released earlier this year and have since been reviewed l by the Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree First Nations.
The science and resulting recommendations were severely inadequate for protecting the ability of the two First Nations to sustain their traditional way of life and ability to meaningfully exercise their aboriginal and treaty rights, they said Thursday. They want the federal and provincial governments to reject the recommendations, which were created by a committee. The committee was made up representatives from government, industry, non-governmental organizations and aboriginal groups. The Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree were not members of the committee.
A key issue is that the oilsands industry will still be allowed to take some water out of the river during critical low flows.
"Our whole motive and objective since 2003 has been on getting a threshold placed, basically a limit placed, that at this threshold nothing is taken out because of the possibility of irreversible damages to the river and the ecosystem of the river," said Melody Lepine, director of Mikisew Cree government and industry relations. "That's what we were always seeking. It's more important in that low-flow period because there are some cases during low flows where navigation is impossible for community members. They can walk across some areas of the river, it's just that shallow. And during that low-flow season, which is in late fall a lot of the time, that's prime hunting season for us -- duck hunting, moose hunting and everything. So you're out there with your boat and your gear and you're trying to harvest your resources and it's impossible when the water level is that low. And the point is industry can still continue to take water during that time."
PROVINCE WANTS FEEDBACK
The provincial government wants to get feedback from groups that were not involved in the committee, said Trevor Gemmell, an Alberta Environment spokesman. "We're still in the very early stages of developing the framework and we value the input of everyone. Managing withdrawals, particularly in periods of low flow, is critical and we recognize that. It's an important part of the water-management framework."
A key recommendation in the committee's report is the need for a plan to manage oilsands withdrawals, including a need to reduce industrial water withdrawals in low-flow conditions occurring during mid-winter from the lower Athabasca River. The report says there should be a reduction in allowable water withdrawals by the oilsands mining operators, from a currently allowed eight cubic metres per second to a proposed 4.4 cubic metres per second during low flows. The committee found there is also a need for water storage, or other methods, to provide water supply during periods when oilsands mining withdrawals are limited.
Compared to rivers in southern Alberta, the Athabasca is extremely well-managed, said Travis Davies, a spokesman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. He said industry stores water at high-flow times to manage through periods of low flows. By 2030 when the oilsands are expected to produce about 3.5 million barrels a day, annual water use would represent about 2.3 per cent of the annual flow, he said.
There is concern about oilsands activity in the province, not all of it local. A current campaign involves billboards in some major cities urging potential tourists to "Rethink Alberta" and avoid visiting the province. The provincial government says the ongoing campaign is misrepresenting the industry and it has mounted efforts of its own to educate Americans about oilsands development.
An example of this effort includes the 12 U.S. politicians who were taken on a tour of oilsands operations Wednesday at the conclusion of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region's Summer Summit. The day-long tour offered a look at all aspects of the industry, from tailings ponds to reclamation, said Mike Deising, a spokesman for Alberta International and Intergovernmental Relations.
hbrooymans@thejournal.canwest.com
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