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.
California gets the goods on oil sands
Alberta seeks ways to satisfy new fuel rules
Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008
CALGARY - A delegation from the federal and Alberta governments travelled to California this week to ensure its influential environmental regulator has all the facts about the oil sands before it moves forward with a low-carbon fuel standard that could discourage Canadian oil imports.
Shell Canada finally crosses border
July 2, 2008
Residents turn out to learn about refinery project
By James Kelley // Voice Reporter
For many, the visit from Shell Canada was way overdue.
State Representative Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair, and Shell Canada officials
met with concerned citizens last Monday at the East China Township Offices
to provide information about a proposed oil refinery project along the St.
Clair River.
Shell Canada has been planning a project since 2006 to build a Tar Sands
Crude Oil Refinery along the St. Clair River. This is the first time Shell
Lake Athabasca north shore busy with mining
By Don Jaque 25.JUN.08
Slave River Journal
Red Rock Energy is one of at least seven exploration companies actively drilling for uranium on the north shore of Lake Athabasca in the Uranium City vicinity.
This is rather, ahem, self explanatory...
Especially when you read the bio of the author, on a site with several ex-Fox writers.
--M
Alberta Heavy Crude to be World’s cleanest production
By Mark Smyth Monday, June 30, 2008
For those who were not aware of the joint statement from the 76TH ANNUAL U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS in Miami this past week, to boycott Canadian gasoline made from oil sands heavy crude, pay very close attention.
Issues - New ERCB directive on toxic tailings is a huge step in the wrong direction
RICARDO ACUÑA / ualberta.ca/parkland
The Alberta Government, along with their friends in the oil industry, have recently embarked on a major campaign to educate Canadians and Americans about the fact that extraction of oil from Northern Alberta’s bituminous sands is actually an environmentally friendly and ecologically sound process.
"Clarity", meaning an assurance that no changes will be made to the regulatory approval process or environmental requirements, is demanded by major corporations who wish to be able to produce in the tar sands without oversight-- i.e., they "demand" the maintenance of the status quo. Nexen is one of the "partners" of the Canadian Boreal Initiative (CBI), a grouping that partners with many of the largest corporations that exist, receiving most of their funding through Ducks Unlimited Canada through Ducks Unlimited in the United States-- where the money originates with the Pew Foundation.
Government records show close to no environmental regulation enforcement in Alberta's Tar Sands
LIBRARY LATE FEES IN CALGARY AND EDMONTON TOTAL 16 TIMES MORE THAN
ENVIRONMENTAL FINES LEVIED AT TAR SANDS COMPANIES
TORONTO, July 2 /CNW/ - After a recent spate of 'greening' campaigns by
government and industry for the Tar Sands, information obtained by
ForestEthics shows government is failing to enforce environmental regulations,
giving oil sands companies a free ride.
Oil companies operating in the Tar Sands were fined only $249,000 in
Kinder Morgan ramping up pipeline plans
Dormant northern leg being revived
Jon Harding
Canwest News Service
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
CALGARY -- A second large shipper of oil from Canada to the United States has confirmed interest is heating up between Canadian producers and refining customers in Asia and along the United States' West Coast.
Information flows at pipeline gathering
The Shaunavon Standard (Saskatchewan)
July 2, 2008
Local landowners and the general public had an opportunity to get a first hand look at a proposed new $7 billion pipeline project that will pass through Southwest Saskatchewan. Local landowners and the general public had an opportunity to get a first hand look at a proposed new $7 billion pipeline project that will pass through Southwest Saskatchewan.
The Keystone XL Pipeline is a crude oil project originating in Alberta and extending south to serve markets on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
