My Response to the Pembina Institute Oil Sands Survey

The Pembina Institute put out a very interesting survey on oil sands development. I have done the survey and I wanted to share my answers and my reasons with you.

I “Moderately Disagreed” with the statement that the oil sands should be developed as fast as possible. We have more projects approved than our labour force and social infrastructure can handle. The market forces of low interest rates, low inflation and near record oil prices and global uncertainty has pushed oil sands investment beyond expectations. We need to add a strong environment and social impact focus now that is the consequence of projects now approved and in process.

I “Moderately Disagreed” with the statement that the Alberta Government should suspend new oil sands approvals until infrastructure and environmental management issues are addressed in the oil sands region. My reasoning is we should beef up the approval process at the regulatory level and not impede the market place at the political level. For example, we need to be sure the reclamation plans and habitat protection is in place before projects get approvals. We need to get life cycle cost figures and do a full cost accounting, including ecological and societal impacts and costs of projects are known and dealt with at the approval stage. To try and catch up on the environment and social impacts of growth make no sense. We have to use the regulatory framework to get ahead of those concerns at the time of project approvals. I also think the “oil sands region” now includes the greater Edmonton areas due to the pressures the many upgrader projects will cause here too.

I “Moderately Agreed” with the concept that oil sand mines should be approved if companies can demonstrate that they can return mined areas back to the way they were before mining began. I appreciate the sentiment but question the reality of this. It may be that the open pit oil sand sites cannot be reclaimed. We humans sure can’t “build” a forest. Better we should consider establishing protected conservation and preservation off set sites in other places in Alberta to compensate for the ecological consequences. The costs of this have to be part of a project’s full cost and life cycle accounting methods. I think the reclamation of the large tailing ponds may be a more serious concern than mining site reclamation overall.

Finally I agreed that the oil sands belong to Albertans and the government has an overriding responsibility to manage the rate of development in ways that serve the long term needs of Albertans…especially future generations. I also agree that hard cap levels for Greenhouse Gas emission standards are better than intensity targets and a necessity. Premier Stelmach has said intensity targets are interim measures on the way to setting hard cap limits on GHG emissions. I think this transition to hard cap limits has to happen quickly to be effective.

We can’t dither on this matter of oil sands development. The environmental concerns of Albertans needs strong political champions who will voice the concerns and help make the needed changes. I am ready willing and able to be one of those voices...but I need your vote on March 3 to do this.