The ambient air quality objective for sulphur dioxide has been finalized and the objective has been posted on the web site and in the Information Centre. Read More
Ottawa – Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) Council has ruled the contents of the tar sands tailings ponds are “essentially like yogurt” in response to a complaint laid last month by Sierra Club Canada. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) quietly withdrew the ad shortly after the complaint was filed. Sierra Club Canada was barred from public statements until the ruling was issued late Monday, November 29, 2010. Read More
Dustin Johnson, Energy Campaigner with the Sierra Club Prairie had the following comment on the sentencing of Syncrude for the death of 1603 ducks in their toxic tailings pond.
Justice was not served today. Sierra Club initiated this law suit with the hopes that is would send a message to the Tar Sands industry. The guilty verdict alone from this trial should have been enough to have industry and government commit to phase out toxic tailing lakes with a moratorium of further tar sands development until it is proven that is is possible to safely dispose of all toxins, and the completely mitigate the environmental damage done thus far. Today's sentencing did nothing to prevent Syncrude from continuing on with business as usually and rather provided them with a monetary fine of $3 million dollars - an amount this company makes in less than 16 hours.
Read More
The fact is that the death of these 1603 ducks is only one aspect of the tar sands exploitive assault on the ecosystem and people of the North. The rising cancer rates in downstream communities like Fort Chipewyan, the poisoning of the Mackenzie River Delta, and the increasing toxic contamination of wildlife are criminal acts and would be considered such if done by any entity other than a corporation. Today's sentencing shows justice for the North is still far from being served.
All federal leaders say more must be done; report outlines Ottawa’s duties under existing federal laws
OTTAWA, ON — Three of Canada's leading environmental organizations released a new report today detailing how federal laws should be enforced to reduce the negative environmental and economic impacts of oilsands activity. The report follows the federal government's recent acknowledgement, in striking a panel to review pollution in the Athabasca River, of the need for Ottawa to play a greater role in the oilsands. Read More
The Environmental Law Centre has made the materials from their "What lies beneath? Accessing environmental information on real estate" webinar available to view online or download.
"I would never have bought if I knew..."
Are you a homebuyer, seller, real estate agent, or lawyer? Whether your concern is "due diligence" or "buyer beware," the practical challenge is the same: at this time there is no one-stop shopping for environmental information in Alberta.
On October 13, Environmental Law Centre Staff Counsel Adam Driedzic presented a webinar about accessing environmental records. This session gave special attention to the property condition and emerging online services.
Read More
Edmonton, AB – Development of Alberta’s oilsands resources has significant environmental consequences and potentially long-lasting impact on land and water resources. Oil sands surface mining projects have caused radical changes in landscapes and tailings ponds represent a significant ongoing challenge. Read More
Edmonton — The steps of the Provincial legislature were transformed today in an attempt to give Albertans an idea of the amount of tailings, French tar sands giant Total, will create in Alberta if Total’s new mine site is approved. Representative from Greenpeace, the Rainforest Action Network and Sierra Club Prairie set-up 60, 200 litre rain barrels which is what Total will dump into Alberta’s eco-system every 30 seconds with this project. Read More
Action Required Until Effects Understood
Sheila Muxlow, Director with the Sierra Club Prairie, had to the following to say about the Federal Government appointment of a scientific panel to study the effects of tar sands.
"Although the appointment of this panel is a quiet admission by the federal government that tar sands are adversly affecting Northern Alberta, it does not go far enough to ensure there will be no further damage. If the government seriously wishes to address the environmental and health concerns of local people on a comprehensive scale, they would call for an immediate moratorium on all new approvals and construction until the effects of existing projects are clearly understood and the harm mitigated. In the immediate, this means saying no to the Total application for the Joslyn North Mine Project open pit mine."
Read More
CALGARY, AB — Simon Dyer, oilsands program director for the Pembina Institute, responded to today's release of the NDP minority report on the findings of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development's study of the impact of oilsands development on Canada's freshwater. Read More
A new study led by University of Alberta ecologist Dr. David Schindler and published in the renowned Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences makes some alarming conclusions about the water near the tar sands. After monitoring 60 sites along the Athabasca River and its tributaries, Dr. Schindler concluded the tar sands have added carcinogenic toxins to the area environment.
Read More