Ecojustice

Wilderness Committee

Grassland Naturalists

Nature Saskatchewan

EDMONTON — Conservation groups are taking Environment Minister Peter Kent to Federal Court over his continued failure to protect Canada’s endangered Greater Sage-grouse and fulfill his duties under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

In November, Ecojustice filed a petition demanding Kent use a SARA provision to recommend emergency protection for sage-grouse and the habitat the species needs to survive in Canada. The protections requested included an end to further human disturbance, particularly oil and gas development, in crucial sage-grouse habitat. Read More

Jan

25

2012

Environment groups ask Federal Court to force minister’s hand on caribou protection

EDMONTON — Environment Minister Peter Kent’s failure to reconsider emergency protection for woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta has prompted environmental groups to ask for the Federal Court’s help.

Six months ago, the Court called Minister Kent’s decision not to recommend emergency protection for woodland caribou “out of the blue,” and ruled that it ignored scientific evidence and must be set aside. The Minister was instructed to reconsider the government’s position, but has yet to show any signs of activity on the file.

Ecojustice, on behalf of the Pembina Institute and Alberta Wilderness Association, has asked the Court to amend its ruling to include a deadline to force a response from the Minister. Read More

Source: Pembina Institute

Oct

21

2011

Alberta court denies Maxim coal plant challenge

Contentious expansion project to go-ahead

Source: Pembina Institute

CALGARY — An Alberta court has rejected Ecojustice's challenge, launched on behalf of the Pembina Institute, of the Alberta Utilities Commission's (AUC) approval of a controversial coal-fired power plant expansion.

In June, the AUC endorsed an expansion of Maxim Power Corp.'s Milner plant in Grande Cache, Alta., a move that could allow the company to avoid new federal greenhouse gas regulations that effectively require a 50 per cent cut in emissions. Read More

Electricity Generation & Transmission

Coal

Oct

05

2011

Alberta court to decide if it will hear Maxim coal plant challenge

CALGARY — Tomorrow, an Alberta court will hear an Ecojustice application to appeal Maxim Power Corp.’s controversial Milner coal plant expansion.

The groups seek to overturn the Alberta Utilities Commission’s (AUC) hasty approval of the Milner project, which allows Maxim to avoid incoming federal greenhouse gas regulations.

Ecojustice, on behalf the Pembina Institute, will appear before the Court of Appeal of Alberta tomorrow. The hearing will determine if the appeal can proceed or not. Read More

Electricity Generation & Transmission

Coal

Sep

22

2011

Conservation groups: Canada’s tar sands extraction violates international wildlife treaties

Oakland, CA — Today, conservation groups represented by Earthjustice and Ecojustice Canada submitted a petition to Interior Secretary Salazar asking him to report to President Obama that Canada’s destructive tar sands extraction undermines international efforts to protect endangered and threatened species. Read More

Aug

26

2011

Proposed caribou recovery strategy violates SARA

EDMONTON — The federal government’s draft woodland caribou recovery strategy — released today, four years overdue — is illegal and fails on multiple fronts to comply with requirements under the Species at Risk Act, Ecojustice said today.

“This is not a recovery plan. This is barely a survival plan,” said Melissa Gorrie, Ecojustice staff lawyer. “SARA requires that recovery plans be based in science, but this plan clearly prioritizes political and industrial interests over that of the animals it is supposed to protect.” Read More

Aug

17

2011

Alberta Caribou Protection Lost in Secret Forestry Deal

Source: Alberta Wilderness Association

With a long overdue federal recovery strategy for Alberta’s critically threatened woodland caribou anticipated to be only weeks away, the Government of Alberta has quietly signed a new 20 year Forest Management Agreement (FMA) with Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries (Al-Pac) that closes the door on protecting caribou habitat in northeastern Alberta. The agreement seems to ignore the protection scientists say is critical for woodland caribou and other wildlife affected by forestry and oil sands industries in the FMA’s 58,000 km² swath of north central and northeastern Alberta. Read More

Forests

Aug

03

2011

Alberta Utilities Commission faces court challenge over approval of Milner coal plant expansion

Failure to hold public hearing, expedited approval sparks lawsuit

CALGARY — Ecojustice and the Pembina Institute are taking the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to court over its decision to grant Maxim Power Corp.’s coal plant expansion interim approval without a public hearing.

As the AUC itself made clear, the expedited approval was given in a blatant attempt to beat the federal government’s deadline for new greenhouse gas regulations. Read More

Electricity Generation & Transmission

Coal

Aug

03

2011

Federal Court overturns Minister’s decision not to recommend emergency protection for caribou

EDMONTON — The federal Environment Minister’s “out of the blue” decision not to recommend emergency protection for woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta ignored scientific evidence and must be set aside, the Federal Court said late yesterday.

Environment Minister Peter Kent must now reconsider the government’s position on emergency protections for the caribou.

The Federal Court recognized that scientific evidence indicates the caribou face threats to their survival. Read More

Jun

22

2011

Woodland caribou battle goes to Federal Court

EDMONTON — Environmental groups are in Federal Court today to fight for immediate protection of caribou habitat facing unchecked oilsands development in northeastern Alberta.

Ecojustice, on behalf of the Pembina Institute and Alberta Wilderness Association, is seeking a court order to force Environment Minister Peter Kent to recommend emergency protection of critical habitat for threatened caribou herds in northeastern Alberta. Read More

Land Management & Stewardship