Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Water

Water is needed in huge amounts in tarsands production and in all other construction stages of tarsands infrastructure across the continent. It takes five litres of water to produce one of usable petrol. There is also water used to move gas, build new tar pits or that water which becomes polluted in the outlying areas. Waste tailings ponds are so vast as to be visible from outer space at this early point in production. Water is now being privatized in slow motion, as “access rights” are available in Alberta. As production grows and climate change continues to parch southern Albertan land, more and more water will be needed to help supply fuel for the American market. This water will ultimately be diverted from rivers, lakes, farms and cities throughout Canada; the water levels in the Athabasca River have already dropped several meters. The Deh Cho/Mackenzie River is already threatened, both from development along its valley and it is downstream from tar sands operations. A generation ago, the Athabasca River was clear and drinking was common. Now, those that live with the river consider it poison and off-limits.

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Enbridge shuts third line in U.S. due to leak

By Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald
September 14, 2010

Enbridge Inc. on Monday said it had substantially cleaned up an oil spill in Illinois even as a third export line to the U.S. was shut down after a leak near Buffalo, N.Y.

Enbridge Energy Partners, the Houston-based affiliate that operates Enbridge's U.S. pipeline network, reported that 6,100 barrels escaped from its Line 6A into an industrial park near Romeoville, Ill., on Thursday, and that 6,050 barrels had been sucked up by vacuum trucks over the weekend.

Utah agency approves tar-sands project

Utah agency approves oil-sands project

By PAUL FOY (AP) – September 13, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY — A top Utah regulator approved plans Monday for the first commercial U.S. oil sands project.

John Baza, director of Utah's Division of Oil, Gas & Mining, upheld an earlier decision by his staff to give Earth Energy Resources Inc. a permit to mine a 62-acre pit in eastern Utah.

Environmental activists had objected to the project and demanded a hearing held by Baza in July.

"Potential alternative to upgraders untapped for two decades"

Evolution of an oilsands 'dinosaur' killer

Potential alternative to upgraders untapped for two decades

By Dave Cooper, Edmonton Journal September 8, 2010

EDMONTON - A process developed in Alberta almost two decades ago that turns bitumen into oil without using upgrading facilities could be a "game changer" for the province, says the co-developer.

"I could never understand why we wouldn't try something simpler and easier for handling bitumen," said Edmonton's Keng Chung, president of Well Resources Inc., who now spends much of his time in China.

Keep industry out

Calgary Herald September 7, 2010

The provincial government's proposal to have members of the oilsands industry sit on a committee tasked with overseeing a study into the unusual rates of cancer at Fort Chipewyan is an absolute nonstarter.

Neither the residents of Fort Chip, downstream on the Athabasca River from oilsands operations, nor Albertans in general, can have confidence in the conclusions of any study in which members of the industry suspected of being linked to those cancers, have oversight or control.

Enbridge signs Husky, BP deal for Sunrise Project

Enbridge signs Husky deal

Sunrise Project Next In Line; Project raises investments in oilsands to $2.3B

By Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald September 8, 2010

CALGARY -- Enbridge Inc. on Tuesday continued to redouble its oilsands expansion plans with a deal to tie Husky Energy's proposed Sunrise oilsands project to its Cheecham distribution hub in northeast Alberta.

The Calgary-based shipper said it had signed a $475-million deal with Husky to build and operate the facilities which will initially ship 90,000 barrels per day to its transportation hub near Conklin starting in 2013.

Reports critical of tar sands keep piling up

Reports critical of oilsands keep piling up
'There needs to be an end to industry monitoring itself'
Published September 9, 2010 by Trevor Scott Howell in News

Alberta’s oilsands tailings ponds are killing birds at a rate 30 times higher than government and industry figures imply, according to a new study.

Ecologist Kevin Timoney, who co-authored the report, calls industry self-reporting of bird deaths “ad hoc” and says it consistently underestimates actual mortality.

Enbridge to Expand Athabasca Pipeline Capacity

Canadian Natural Resources, subcontractor charged in 2008 tailings pond drowning

Canadian Natural Resources, subcontractor charged in 2008 oilsands drowning
By The Canadian Press
September 3, 2010

EDMONTON - Workplace safety charges have been filed against petroleum producer Canadian Natural Resources and one of its subcontractors in an oilsands death two years ago.

Rick Boughner, 47, died in September 2008 when an excavator he was using tipped over and sank into a tailings pond, causing him to drown.

Now it all becomes clear: Premier due on Pelosi's mat next week

Stelmach's measured response to recent petro-goofs seemed out of character until we learned of his plans to see U.S. Speaker

By Graham Thomson, edmontonjournal.com
September 4, 2010

Every week the Alberta government releases what's officially called the "public itinerary" of meetings for the premier, cabinet and caucus -- which means, of course, journalists are left wondering what's on the unofficial "private" itinerary that we don't get to see.

West Moberly says Site C would power tar sands not homes

Monday, 30 August 2010

Amid a bevy of resource projects in northeast B.C., the West Moberly First Nation claims the province is green-washing its Site C hydroelectric project.

“It’s not clean and it’s not green,” West Moberly Chief Roland Willson told BIV in a recent interview.

The First Nation community is a member of the Treaty 8 Tribal Association near Fort St. John where dozens of companies are snapping up land to build the next shale gas well, coal mine or renewable power project.