"Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught, will we realize that we can't eat money." - Cree proverb
It is official: an independent expert scientific panel has backed research that indicates Alberta oilsands development is releasing dangerous toxic contaminants into northern Alberta watersheds. The panel concluded that industrial extraction of oil from bitumen soaked tar sands in Northern Alberta is irreversibly polluting the Athabasca River. [source]
The panel also suggested that current government monitoring programs weren’t even trying to determine if the actual extent and nature of related pollution. David Schindler of the University of Alberta - whose work led to the formation of the panel - said it’s probably already too late to get a true picture of how energy development has affected the area. [source]
The six-member, government-appointed scientific panel’s task was to try to explain why official government accounts of pollution in the area clashed so sharply with those of independent scientific studies of Schindler and his co-authors. Alberta politicians have long argued that contamination in the Athabasca River is “stable”, at low levels, and “comes from eroding oilsands deposits along the riverbank”. But independent researchers, in papers published last year in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, traced hydrocarbons and heavy metals found in the land and water directly to industrial smokestack emissions and found levels toxic to fish. This new panel has now confirmed these independent results. [source]
The panel's report released Wednesday agreed with the findings from Schindler that oilsands operations are definately contaminating the environment. "Taking into consideration all data and critiques, we generally agree with the conclusion of (the independent scientists) that (chemicals) and trace metals are being introduced into the environment by oilsands operations," says the new report. [source]With the government long claiming the contamination in the river is from natural resources, the Ministry of Environment quickly changed its tune Wednesday when environment minister Rob Renner told the press the government's position was never that there wasn't any impact, but that contamination in the river was negligible. "There is a certain degree of impact from industrial development from any area," Renner said. "I don't think anyone has ever suggested there is no impact." [source]
Several studies over the last few years have raised concerns about contamination in the oilsands region. Collected information relative to water-quality standards indicates contamination in the Athabasca watershed is well under human health guidelines. An Environment Canada study found levels of toxic mercury in the eggs of water birds downstream from the oilsands seem to have grown by nearly 50 per cent over the last three decades. And Schindler has published another paper showing pollution is nearly five times greater and twice as widespread as industry figures say. [source]
Several studies over the last few years have raised concerns about contamination in the oilsands region. Collected information relative to water-quality standards indicates contamination in the Athabasca watershed is well under human health guidelines. An Environment Canada study found levels of toxic mercury in the eggs of water birds downstream from the oilsands seem to have grown by nearly 50 per cent over the last three decades. And Schindler has published another paper showing pollution is nearly five times greater and twice as widespread as industry figures say. [source]
The immediate response from provincial Government officials this week has been to say that any impact from the oil sands warrants further study but that NO ACTIONS are required at this time. Instead Environment Minister Rob Renner publically called for yet another review of data and the panel’s conclusions. [source]
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| The Suncor oilsands mine near Fort McMurray, Alberta. |
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2 comments:
Here are a few astute comments from various mainstream news site forums:
“The average Alberta oil patch worker reminds me of the average Afghan poppy farmer, ‘Well hey, we got a family to feed!’”
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“I am not surprised, the same story as usual, self-regulating corparate world, governments "representing" that are in corporate pockets.
corporations will leave with their profits, politicians with retire with their generous pensions. and our children will be left with the bill for higher healthcare costs, toxic food, water, degraded land etc.
and sure, mister environment stooge (aka minister) already is singing his tune: "we will be looking into it"
disgusting.
ps. I am not against natural resources exploration, I am using them too. but I am supporting it only when it benefits us and our land too, not just short term profit of people in from away countries.”
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Spokespersons for Big Oil have long said the oilsands are Canada's msot heavily regulated industries. What they don't say is it is virtually entirely SELF-regulated. Now that even the anti-science Alberta government has been forced to concede that scientific studies are right and they have been wrong along, it's not likely that will change things at all -- not as long as the Alberta government continues to believe it owes its allegiance to Big Oil and not the people who (foolishly) keep electing them.
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Once again, scientific analysis points out that Albertans, and no doubt their neighbours, will suffer because of the mindlessness of the CONS, provincially, and federally. What is worse, the CHILDREN of these people will also be affected, perhaps more strongly. Great legacy for your kids, folks ! For some inane reason, you folks think that ALL of you are going to benefit from all the oil production from the tar sands. I suppose fractions of pennies will benefit the masses, but all the real money will flow to either government/business bigwigs or out to other nations. Again and again, I say, what's the rush ? Take your time, the tar sands aren't going away, so take the time to protect yourself, at least the future generations. I don't know of a generation, like today's, that is so self-centered, uncaring of others, and tunnel visioned when it comes to the good of society. There's a federal election coming, remember that your CON gov't is killing you, while they lower commercial taxing to preposterous levels, and feed the businessmen that send money to the CONS, perpetuating this crime against Canada. Time we changed the gov't, if only to force the CONS to bring in a new leader - the current one is a traitor to everything Canadian.
"Oil sands development contributes elements toxic at low concentrations to the Athabasca River and its tributaries"
By Erin N. Kellya, David W. Schindlera,1, Peter V. Hodsonb, Jeffrey W. Shortc, Roseanna Radmanovicha, and Charlene C. Nielsena
Abstract: We show that the oil sands industry releases the 13 elements considered priority pollutants (PPE) under the US Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Act, via air and water, to the Athabasca River and its watershed. In the 2008 snowpack, all PPE except selenium were greater near oil sands developments than at more remote sites. Bitumen upgraders and local oil sands development were sources of airborne emissions. Concentrations of mercury, nickel, and thallium in winter and all 13 PPE in summer were greater in tributaries with watersheds more disturbed by development than in less disturbed watersheds. In the Athabasca River during summer, concentrations of all PPE were greater near developed areas than upstream of development. At sites downstream of development and within the Athabasca Delta, concentrations of all PPE except beryllium and selenium remained greater than upstream of development. Concentrations of some PPE at one location in Lake Athabasca near Fort Chipewyan were also greater than concentration in the Athabasca River upstream of development. Canada's or Alberta's guidelines for the protection of aquatic life were exceeded for seven PPE—cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, and zinc—in melted snow and/or water collected near or downstream of development.
read the full report: here
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