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 Clearing the Air on Oil Sands Myths identifies a growing body of oil sands “spin” from federal and Alberta politicians and the oil sands industry. This resource provides the full context and facts about oil sands development with concise, referenced information on its environmental impacts.
Clearing the Air on Oil Sands Myths
The Spin, the Plain Facts and the Full Story on Oil Sands Impacts
There is simply no denying it: oil sands operations have major impacts on land, air and water. In an era when climate change is threatening to fundamentally change the planet, it is critical to understand the full environmental and social costs of these projects. Our ability to make good decisions depends on it.
Why do we need to clear the air on oil sands myths?
- Facts matter. Canadians and international observers alike need to have the full story about the environmental implications of oil sands development to arrive at an informed opinion.
- The issues are complex. We need to expose the full context of oil sands development to get a true understanding of its impacts on air, land and water.
- Downplaying the risks is irresponsible. Responsible development can occur only if the governments of Alberta and Canada and the oil sands industry first acknowledge the issues and then implement policies, regulations and approaches to address them.
Visit Clearing the Air on Oil Sands Myths Download Page
You can download Clearing the Air on Oil Sands Myths in PDF format.
Jennifer Grant
Simon Dyer • Dan Woynillowicz
June 2009
The Pembina Institute and The Pembina Foundation
CONTENTS
Contents: The Plain Facts on Oil Sands
Climate Change
1. Alberta’s greenhouse gas regulation does not require real reductions in emissions from oil
sands operations..................................................................................................................2
2. Oil sands production is much more greenhouse gas–intensive than conventional oil
production. ...........................................................................................................................3
3. Oil sands are the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada..............5
4. Continued increases in greenhouse gas emissions show that Canada’s commitment to
address climate change falls far short of what's needed. .....................................................6
5. Large-scale carbon capture and storage for oil sands emissions is currently a distant and
uncertain prospect. ..............................................................................................................8
6. Companies are allowed to switch to burning dirtier fuels as a source of energy for oil sands
extraction — further increasing greenhouse gas emissions from the oil sands...................10
Water Impacts
7. Oil sands mining uses two to four barrels of water for every barrel of bitumen produced....11
8. Oil sands companies are not required to stop withdrawing water from the Athabasca River,
even if flows are so low that fisheries and habitat are at serious risk..................................13
9. Capping toxic tailings waste in end pit lakes with water is an unproven and risky concept. 14
10. For over 40 years, oil sands mining companies voluntarily managed tailings on their own, in
the absence of concrete government regulations. ..............................................................15
11. Tailings lakes seep toxic waste. It is uncertain exactly what is seeping, how much is
seeping and what ecosystem components are affected. ....................................................16
12. Tailings lakes house compounds known to be acutely toxic to aquatic organisms. ............17
13. Reclamation of tailings lakes has not yet been demonstrated. ...........................................19
Boreal Forest Impacts
14. Alberta’s oil sands underlie one-fifth of the province, and development is already planned
for more than 79,000 square kilometres. ............................................................................20
15. Cumulatively, the potential area affected by in situ development is about 40 times larger
than the mineable zone......................................................................................................21
16. The Athabasca Boreal Forest will not be restored to its native state following mine closure
....................................................................................................................................... 22
17. Oil sands mining reclamation standards are weak and lack transparency; only one square
kilometre of land has been certified as reclaimed to date. ..................................................23
18. The security bonds that are supposed to protect Canadians from costly environmental
liabilities may be inadequate. .............................................................................................24
Environmental Management
19. First Nations are not consulted prior to mineral lease sales. ..............................................26
20. Aquatic monitoring is conducted by an industry-funded group that has been criticized for
using an analytically weak, biased and inconsistent monitoring approach..........................27
21. There is no regional environmental management system to address the cumulative impacts
of oil sands development. ..................................................................................................28
22. Absolute limits are lacking for air emissions, land disturbance and water withdrawals. ......29
23. There is substantial room for the oil sands mining sector to improve its environmental
performance......................................................................................................................32
ABOUT THE PEMBINA INSTITUTE
The Pembina Institute is a national non-profit think tank that advances sustainable energy solutions through research, education, consulting and advocacy. It promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability in the public interest by developing practical solutions for communities, individuals, governments and businesses.
The Pembina Institute provides policy research leadership and education on climate change, energy issues, green economics, energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy, and environmental governance. For more information about the Pembina Institute, visit www.pembina.org or contact info@pembina.org.
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