Keystone pipeline
If approved, the Keystone XL pipeline would carry oil extracted from Northern Alberta’s oil sands to refineries and markets in the United States. Vocal opponents of the project hope to convince President Obama not to approve the project, but their chances seem poor. The Canadian portion of t…
View the post titled Keystone pipelineStatoil to plead guilty to oilsands offences
Statoil, the 2/3 state-owned Norwegian oil company, is well known for promising to develop the oil sands sustainably. This fall, it will plead guilty to charges relating to its Alberta oil sands project.[1]
View the post titled Statoil to plead guilty to oilsands offencesSyncrude pays $3M for dead ducks
On Friday, Syncrude was ordered to pay $3 million in penalties for the 1,600 ducks killed in its tailings ponds four years ago. This is the highest total penalty ever imposed in Canada for an environmental offence. Syncrude was fined the maximum for a single incident: $300,000 for the feder…
View the post titled Syncrude pays $3M for dead ducksHungarian sludge spill and our tailings ponds
The Hungarian sludge spill disaster is just another reminder of the large scale havoc and devastation that industrial sludge impoundments can create. Every few years we read about another one. On April 25, 1998, a tailings dam failure of the Los Frailes lead-zinc mine at Aznalcóllar near Sev…
View the post titled Hungarian sludge spill and our tailings pondsTar sands polluting the Athabaska River
How do the tar sands operators get away with polluting the great Athabaska River, despite federal and provincial laws that allegedly protect rivers? By insisting that everything is fine, and that all the pollution is “natural”. Now, Professor David Schindler has blown their cover…
View the post titled Tar sands polluting the Athabaska RiverAir pollution class action against the tar sands?
The successful class action by Port Colborne residents, Smith v. Inco, has opened the door to a similar class action against the tar sands. In Inco, nickel particles were emitted from the refinery for 80 years. There was no proof that Inco ever operated illegally or negligently, or failed …
View the post titled Air pollution class action against the tar sands?Syncrude found guilty in ducks case
Syncrude has been found guilty of two offences relating to the large duck kill of 2008. That April, 1606 migrating ducks died after landing on the toxic tailings pond of the huge Aurora tar sands mine. A member of the Sierra Club laid the original charges, another vindication for private pro…
View the post titled Syncrude found guilty in ducks caseOil sands tailing wastes and dead ducks
In Alberta provincial court, Syncrude is on trial for the death of 1600 migratory ducks, who were unable to escape from its oil sands tailing ponds in 2008. Federal and provincial governments allow Syncrude to create the giant, deadly ponds, as long as they take reasonable care to frighten t…
View the post titled Oil sands tailing wastes and dead ducksEnvironmental Assessment: Worth the cost?
The main finding of this study is that the lengthy time frames and higher costs to comply with the Municipal Class EA process are not providing additional environmental or other benefits.
View the post titled Environmental Assessment: Worth the cost?Receive Blog Posts
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