The Health implications in terms of these projects are vast, and not just the deadly explosions and industrial accidents that happen in production-—from reported increases in rare forms of cancer downstream from tar sands production to the pollution of fresh water leading to poisoned diets (fish, moose and plant toxicity)—-direct links are hard to establish but impossible to either rule out or ignore, especially where tarsand operations constitute overwhelmingly the greatest change to the environment in most corners of the continent effected directly by tarsand infrastructure.
Enbridge Gateway Win Shows Stopping Keystone Won’t Halt Oil (1)
By Jim Efstathiou Jr. and Rebecca Penty December 20, 2013
Keystone XL backers say the proliferation of alternative projects, such as one to carry oil-sands crude to a Canadian seaport that advanced yesterday, undercuts opponents who claim blocking the pipeline will keep the high-carbon fossil fuel in the ground.
Piles of tar-sands waste in Chicago are pissing people off
By John Upton
Grist
Nov 19, 2013
Clouds of coal dust and petroleum coke, a waste product from the refining of tar-sands oil, have been enveloping neighborhoods on Chicago’s southeast side. Federal, state, and city officials are finally moving to temper the dangerous air pollution.
The villains: KCBX Terminals (a division of Koch Industries) and Beemsterboer Slag Co.
Enbridge to keep seeking public approval for Northern Gateway pipeline
Jeffrey Jones
Lake Louise, Alta. — The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Nov. 29 2013
Enbridge Inc. will keep trying to win public approval for its Northern Gateway oil pipeline to the Pacific coast from Alberta even with the clock winding down to a crucial regulatory decision for the contentious project in the coming weeks, its chief executive officer said on Friday.
Energy East, Line 9 pipelines would be boost for Quebec refinery sector: Suncor
Jeff Lewis | 12/11/13
CALGARY – Rival plans to pipe Alberta crude east would safeguard jobs and encourage investment in Quebec’s struggling refinery sector, the president and chief executive of Suncor Energy Inc. said Tuesday.
Oil-by-rail shift squeezing plans for new pipelines — including Keystone
Jeff Lewis | 13/08/30
Financial Post
CALGARY • The tug-of-war between railroads and pipelines in North American oilfields is only just getting started.
In recent months, the popularity of moving crude on tracks has sapped commercial support for new pipelines from oil fields in West Texas to North Dakota’s Bakken. Now it’s raising questions about the importance of Keystone XL, TransCanada Corp.’s controversial project designed to connect Alberta’s booming oil sands to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Where oil meets water: The final stop for the Energy East pipeline
SHAWN McCARTHY - GLOBAL ENERGY REPORTER
SAINT JOHN, N.B. — The Globe and Mail
Published Saturday, Aug. 31 2013
On a point of land jutting into the open waters of the fabled Bay of Fundy, Canada’s long-sought ambition to become a global oil exporter is coming into focus.
Here at Mispec Point, Irving Oil Ltd. and TransCanada Corp. plan to build a $300-million, deep-water marine terminal that would give Western Canadian crude producers their highly coveted direct access to world markets.
UPDATE August 1st 2013: TransCanada has announced they intend on moving forward with their Energy East Pipeline and have unfortunately even added to its capacity, making it now a 1.1 million barrel per day project.
Be sure to bring your concerns and your friends to the public engagement meetings TransCanada is hosting.
A Black Mound of Canadian Oil Waste Is Rising Over Detroit
WINDSOR, Ontario — Assumption Park gives residents of this city lovely views of the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit skyline. Lately they’ve been treated to another sight: a three-story pile of petroleum coke covering an entire city block on the other side of the Detroit River.
The New York Times
By IAN AUSTEN
Published: May 17, 2013
Detroit’s ever-growing black mountain is the unloved, unwanted and long overlooked byproduct of Canada’s oil sands boom.
South Portlanders petition to put tar-sands project on the ballot
Pre-emptive Petitioning
The Portland Phoenix
By DEIRDRE FULTON | June 13, 2013
In the latest pre-emptive salvo against a potential project that has garnered significant advance attention, a group of South Portlanders has launched a citizens' initiative to change the city's zoning ordinance in order to prevent the Portland Pipe Line Corporation from processing tar-sands oil through its Casco Bay facility.
Canada's tar sands companies fail to clean up toxic waste, report finds
Three arrested in environmental protests as Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper visits London
Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 June 2013
Protesters gathered as Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper addressed Parliament on Thursday. Photograph: Peter Marshall/Demotix/Corbis
None of the companies operating in Canada's tar sands have met a commitment to clean up the vast and expanding sprawl of toxic waste ponds, an official report has found.
