The Boreal Forest
Canada Tar Sands Industry Ignoring Toxic River Pollution
Canada's rapidly expanding tar sands industry is causing the toxic pollution of its rivers, but the government of Alberta continues to deny there is a problem.... Read more »
Link to source site:
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/581400/canada_tar_sands_industry_... - Login to post comments
Tar Sands Giant Total falls short on Green Promises
Sierra Club Prairie files submission to have new mining project shelved.
In addition to highlighting areas of concern, Sierra Club also highlights the technology that Total originally said would be part of the mining proposal but has since been removed. Total’s updated proposal flies in the face of several provincial and federal statements to eliminate toxic tailing waste ponds, move away from open pit mining projects, and to use carbon capture and storage technology.
“The application for the Joslyn Mine falls ridiculously short of the green promises made by Total,” explains Sheila Muxlow, Director with the Sierra Club Prairie. “Original promises of dry tailings and carbon capture and storage to mitigate the pollution from this project have been rescinded and what is left is another toxic mine that will decimate an area the size of 13,000 football fields and add more harm to an already overwhelmed area.”
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Oilsands Mining Linked to Athabasca River Toxins
High levels of toxic pollutants in Alberta's Athabasca River system are linked to oilsands mining, researchers have found.
The findings counter the reports by a joint industry-government panel that the pollutant levels are due to natural sources rather than human development.
Mercury, thallium and other pollutants accumulated in higher concentrations in snowpacks and waterways near and downstream from oilsands development than in more remote areas, said a study to be published Monday afternoon in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Upstream and undeveloped sites exposed directly to the McMurray Geologic Formation, the natural source of the oilsands, did not show high levels of pollutants.... Read more »
Link to source site:
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/08/30/oil-sands-athabasca-river.html - Login to post comments
Outings
Join Sierra Club and Pembina Institute
for a special TarSands Canoe Floatilla
Aug 4th to 6th 2010
Canoe the Athabasca River from
Fort McMurray to Fort Mackay
Join the Sierra Club as we meet up with the Connecting the Drops Athabasca River expedition & paddle through the oil sands from Fort McMurray to Fort MacKay with representatives from the Athabasca Tribal Council, expedition team, local residents & interested Albertans (launch from Fort McMurray early on August 4).... Read more »
Tar Sands
Introduction
Canada'a tar sands, also known as oil sands, are located in the northern half of the province of Alberta along with some deposits in neighbouring Saskatchewan. Covering a land mass of 140,200 km2, or 54,132 square miles, the deposits span a region larger than the size of the U.S. states of :
... Read more »
