The Alberta tar sands project – or oil sands as it’s also called – and accompanying pipelines are something all British Columbians should be concerned about.
Jim Cooperman of the Shuswap Environmental Action Society gave reasons for this view in a presentation to more than 115 people in Salmon Arm Feb. 29.
In a detailed talk, he described the current situation, future dangers and action people can take.
He said the oil sands, the largest industrial project in the world, now pump out 1.9 million barrels of oil, “actually dirty bitumen or tar” every day. By 2020, production is expected to increase to three million barrels per day.
The land available for production is 142,000 sq. km. – 21 per cent of the province of Alberta and 35 per cent of Canada’s wetlands. As of mid-2010, he said, 680 sq. km. have been disturbed, 25 per cent of which is covered by toxic tailings ponds.
Pressurized steam is put deep into the ground to melt the bitumen, forcing it to the surface. The process, he said, is energy inefficient. Producing one barrel of dirty oil requires two tons of sand, 2.4 to 4.5 barrels of water and 1,200 cubic feet of natural gas – enough to heat an average home for four days. Up to 2,500 litres of toxic tailings, as well as greenhouse gas, are by-products of this process.
“What is happening to Alberta’s streams and wetlands is a disgrace. Mine tailing ponds become permanent toxic lakes… Cannons are used daily to keep birds away and, despite this, many die anyway after landing in the oily toxic water.”
The tailings, Cooperman said, now cover an area 1.5 times the size of the City of Vancouver and hold 5.5 trillion litres of toxic water and fine sand. They are not being reclaimed and more approvals are being granted.
Along with factors such as increasing costs in the future to find the oil, Canada’s ongoing oil exports and its importing of half of its own oil needs, he said some economists have identified the project as a threat to Canada’s long-term energy security.
Then there are environmental threats from the proposed Enbridge Gateway Pipeline across B.C. and supertanker traffic off the B.C. Coast. The pipeline must go over rough terrain, bitumen is corrosive, and between 1999 and 2008 there were 610 Enbridge spills.
More than 130 First Nations groups are opposed.
Cooperman suggested options for people such as learning more, submitting a letter to the Gateway hearing panel and listening to his presentation at http://shuswappassion.ca/videos/tar-sands-and-pipelines-mov/.
