Blog 2 - - - Reflections - Alberta oil sands

What future would you like to see for the Alberta tar sands project?

With current needs for oil in the modern world, the Alberta oil sand project is vital for the Canadian economy. Many companies have billions of dollars invested in the mining and processing for the sands. To simply stop production, would be unfair to companies and residents of Fort McMurray. Progress needs to be made in the overall, becoming less oil dependent, before trying to focus in and close specific mines. The oil industry is not a clean program, it can be preventative and enforce environmental standards, but no industry can have a perfect record against accidents.
Current setup can always have room for improvements, even the oil sands. Everyone enjoys telling companies what to do, and request high standards to minimize environmental impacts. Many companies can reach these standards only to be told to do more. How can an oil production company going to keep funding changing standards. There needs to be a more secure, and bottom line approach for enforcing and making environmental laws. This hopefully could make both sides work together and not against each other, reducing the amount of hidden information on both sides.
Processing involving tailing ponds, which can be dangerous to surround water sources. The idea itself is good in theory, keeping the contaminated water out of the rivers and lakes. Problems with seepage and leaching should be addressed and fixed. Large corporations should be responsible for water quality, which has direct link to the processing. Deformities and possible cancer are being formed from contact with the water, and is a serious issue, but why is it only a paper battle of who’s right and wrong on the facts. There is no punishment to enforce negative actions on the environment, just a lot of arguing.
The area of Fort McMurray has one of the largest water treatment plants in Canada, and an air quality rating compared to the worse areas of china. These are all sign that the production of oil from oil sands is impacting the environment on many different levels. Every level of the ecosystem has its own set of limitations, it’s apparent that many of these limitations are coming close to their maximum, and changes need to be made to prevent a ecological disaster. Everything living will and can be effected from too much pollution.
Laws and restrictions do need to be enforced to have an impact. The government should be responsible for overseeing the policing of water and air quality, but also realize if a problem is found, possible losses in income can occur, from the reduced production as a result. Outside sources need to acquire to be affective in monitoring levels of pollution, which have no connections to companies or the government. Without such dramatic action, it will only continue to be a blaming war, on who has done what.
Environmental problems are the main focus, but what would happen to all the residents if the oil sands were to be shut down. The human aspect of the problem is complicating things. People have built houses, started families and depend on the current income to pay for the areas inflated prices. It’s a way of life for many, and most don’t enjoy it very much. Many residents complain of drugs and crime problems. People are moving to Fort McMurray to make quick money and leave, giving the town no sense of community, and a poor quality of life. So if the oil sands did end up closing, maybe it would be for the better.
In conclusion, the current operations in Alberta need to be changed, both the company’s responsible for pollution and processing, and also the way laws are enforced. Streamlining both side of the problem can make the system better, and allocate proper funding to solve and pay for environmental impacts. The industry of oil production will have to decrease dramatically, to make it unprofitable for processing oil sands. Yes there is environmental problem in the area, but global demand for oil, is making the environmental problems come in second, to supplying the demand. It’s more than just trying to close down one site, global dependence of the black gold needs to be solved first. Currently companies are doing nothing bad but supply the world, take the demand away and companies, and the companies will begin slowing production and eventually closing themselves. I think the focus is to narrow on the problem, and a broader view should also be considered part of the main problem.

To see the actual impact of oil sands in Alberta, follow the link under "Related links" to see overhead views of the modified landscapes.