[R-G] Alberta oilsands refineries could cause irreversible damage: Report

[Anthony Fenton]

Alberta oilsands refineries could cause irreversible damage: Report
  http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=929f281f-f3d4-458c-aff0-cff3c9f48da2
Jorge Barrera
Canwest News Service

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

There are currently 17 refinery projects either being 'considered,  
planned, applied for, approved or developed' around the Great Lakes,  
according to the report, How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes,  
released Wednesday.
CREDIT:
There are currently 17 refinery projects either being 'considered,  
planned, applied for, approved or developed' around the Great Lakes,  
according to the report, How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes,  
released Wednesday.

The development of a pipeline network and refineries around the Great  
Lakes to process Alberta bitumen "could cause irreversible"  
environmental damage to the region, says a new report that traces the  
tendrils of Alberta's oilsands developments across the continent.

There are currently 17 refinery projects either being "considered,  
planned, applied for, approved or developed" around the Great Lakes,  
according to the report, How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes,  
released Wednesday.

The report, commissioned by the University of Toronto's Munk Centre  
program on water issues, warns that little is known about the  
environmental impact on the Great Lakes given the level of greenhouse  
gas emissions and water consumption that comes with the refining  
process.

"We are paying more attention at the oilsands end, but not where the  
oil gets to and what happens there," said David Israelson, the  
report's author. "The other big issue is climate change and this means  
exponential increase in greenhouse gas emissions before you put a drop  
in your car."

Dubbing it a "pollution delivery system," the report said the  
thousands-kilometres-long pipeline complex used to ferry Athabasca  
bitumen from source to refinery could bring "2.3 million tonnes" of  
greenhouse gas emissions to the centre of North America every year.

"It will also bring new, large-scale sulphur dioxide and nitrogen  
oxide emissions - the building blocks of acid rain - as well as fine  
particulate matter, which is responsible for premature deaths," said  
the report. "Pipeline and refinery expansion applications are being  
made and approved right now with little general awareness of the  
potential long-term damage to the Great Lakes environment."

Bitumen is a tar-like heavy hydrocarbon that is removed from Alberta's  
oilsands and upgraded into synthetic crude oil.

Environmental groups were quick to back the report's findings. Justin  
Duncan, a lawyer with Ecojustice, said the federal government needs to  
revise its entire approach to oilsands development.

"We are not looking at national policies or other opportunities to  
reduce demand so we don't need (the oilsands)," said Duncan.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers said they wanted to  
study the report before presenting a detailed response.

"It is a complex issue that deals with economic, cross-border supply  
and environmental issues," said Travis Davies, spokesman for the  
association.

Israelson said the election had nothing to do with the report's  
release, which had been planned in advance. However, he said  
politicians could do a lot to avert environmental catastrophe on the  
lakes. With the majority of the proposed refinery expansions slated  
for the U.S. side of the Great Lakes - a planned expansion in Sarnia,  
Ont., has been put on hold - Israelson said Canada should put  
environmental conditions on exported Alberta bitumen.

"We are selling something that they want to buy, so we can put  
conditions on it," said Israelson, a vice-president for a Toronto- 
based public relations firm. "The prime minister has already talked  
about not selling bitumen to China."

Harper in late September promised to halt the flow of bitumen to  
countries with weaker greenhouse gas emission reduction standards than  
Canada.
© Canwest News Service 2008