Oil Sands Watch | Pembina Institute

 

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North Lifeblood (fact sheet)

Empowering Northern Leaders to Protect the Mackenzie River Basin from the Risks of Oil Sands Development

This fact sheet, Northern Lifeblood — Empowering Northern Leaders to Protect the Mackenzie River Basin from the Risks of Oil Sands Development, provides an overview of threats to the Mackenzie River Basin and actions that leaders in the North can take to protect their waters.

Northern Lifeblood

Empowering Northern Leaders to Protect the Mackenzie River Basin from Oil Sands Risks

This report, Northern Lifeblood — Empowering Northern Leaders to Protect the Mackenzie River Basin from the Risks of Oil Sands Development, investigates current and future threats to the Mackenzie River Basin, including the risks associated with the 170 square kilometres of toxic tailings lakes in the Athabasca watershed. The report also details opportunities for both northern leaders and the federal government to proactively protect northern waters.

How Do Two Pipelines Stack Up?

Reviewing the Review Processes for the Mackenzie Gas Project and the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline

How Do Two Pipelines Stack Up?

Published Jun 29, 2010

By Karen Campbell

A chart comparing the review processes for the Mackenzie Gas Project and the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline

The 2010 Global Thought Leader Survey on Sustainability

Published Jun 24, 2010

By McAllister Opinion Research

The views of more than 5,000 sustainability thought leaders in Canada, the U.S. and Europe are outlined in The 2010 Global Thought Leader Survey on Sustainability.

Mining vs. In Situ

What is the highest environmental impact oil?

Mining vs. In Situ

Published May 27, 2010

By Simon Dyer, Marc Huot

Mining vs. In Situ provides an initial, much-needed comparison of the environmental impacts of oil sands mining and in situ extraction.

Drilling Deeper Fact Sheet

In Situ Oil Sands Report Card

Drilling Deeper Fact Sheet

Published Mar 17, 2010

By Simon Dyer, Jeremy Moorhouse, Marc Huot

Drilling Deeper provides a first-of-its-kind analysis of the environmental performance of in situ oil sands by comparing nine operational facilities.

Drilling Deeper: The In Situ Oil Sands Report Card

Published Mar 17, 2010

By Simon Dyer, Jeremy Moorhouse, Marc Huot

Drilling Deeper provides a first-of-its-kind analysis of the environmental performance of in situ oil sands by comparing nine operational facilities.

 

In Situ Oil Sands Report Best Practices Checklist

In Situ Best Practices Checklist

In Situ Oil Sands Report Best Practices Checklist

Published Mar 17, 2010

By Simon Dyer, Jeremy Moorhouse, Marc Huot

Based on the in situ oil sands report card, this best practices checklist shows how industry can improve environmental performance.

Published Feb 1, 2010

By Karen Campbell

In the wake of the release of its report, Opening the Door for Oil Sands Expansion: The Hidden Environmental Impacts of the Enbridge Gateway Pipeline, the Pembina Institute wrote this letter to Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment, and Peter Sylvester, president of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. In the letter, Pembina calls on the government to amend the terms of reference for the environmental assessment to include the upstream impacts of the proposed pipeline.

Opening the Door to Oil Sands Expansion

The Hidden Environmental Impacts of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline

Opening the Door to Oil Sands Expansion

Published Jan 18, 2010

By Greg Brown, Jeremy Moorhouse, Jennifer Grant

The proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Project will facilitate the expansion of the Alberta oil sands, causing significant environmental impacts.

Opening the Door to Oil Sands Expansion: Fact Sheet

The Enbridge Oil Sands Pipeline

Opening the Door to Oil Sands Expansion: Fact Sheet

Published Dec 4, 2009

By Greg Brown, Jeremy Moorhouse, Jennifer Grant

The proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Project will facilitate the expansion of the Alberta oil sands, causing significant environmental impacts.

Backgrounder: Oil Sands Tailings and Directive 074

Published Dec 1, 2009

By Terra Simieritsch, Simon Dyer, Water Matters

This document provides background information about tailings and about Directive 074: Tailings Performance Criteria and Requirements for Oil Sands Mining Schemes.

Tailings Plan Review

An Assessment of Oil Sands Company Submissions for Compliance with ERCB Directive 074

Tailings Plan Review

Published Dec 1, 2009

By Terra Simieritsch, Simon Dyer, Water Matters

A comprehensive review conducted by the Pembina Institute and Water Matters found that only two oil sands operations reported they would meet new rules to reduce toxic tailings.

Published Oct 20, 2009

By Pembina Institute et al.

Joint statement from an industry–environmental organization partnership that outlines the key elements for an effective Canadian cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions.

Pipelines and Salmon in Northern British Columbia

Published Oct 16, 2009

By Pembina Institute et al.

Four major pipeline projects have been proposed for northern British Columbia over the next five years, including the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project. All of the proposed pipelines would cross and at times run parallel to important salmon habitats in the Upper Fraser, Skeena and Kitimat watersheds.

Oil and Salmon Don't Mix

Published Oct 16, 2009

By Pembina Institute et al.

Four major pipeline projects have been proposed for northern British Columbia over the next five years, including the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project. This fact sheet highlights the importance of salmon in northern British Columbia and gives an overview of the risks posed to salmon by the Enbridge oil sands pipelines.

Published Aug 28, 2009

By Dan Woynillowicz

 An Alberta court decision that permits the Energy Resource Conservation Board (ERCB) to ignore Royal Dutch Shell's breach of written agreements made to obtain regulatory approval signals a likely end to collaborative approaches in the oil sands.  Ecojustice, on behalf of the Pembina Institute and the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta, was denied Leave to Appeal the ERCB’s decision to uphold the approvals for two of Shell oil sands projects, even though the ERCB acknowledged Shell had broken written agreements to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

Carbon Copy (Fact Sheet)

Preventing Oil Sands Fever in Saskatchewan

Carbon Copy (Fact Sheet)

Published Aug 13, 2009

By Terra Simieritsch, Simon Dyer, Marc Huot

The oil sands in Saskatchewan could hold as much as 2.3 billion barrels of bitumen, and cover an area of 27,000 square kilometres. Development of oil sands is still in its early stages in Saskatchewan, so there is still an opportunity to do things properly and avoid the mistakes in Alberta.

Carbon Copy

Preventing Oil Sands Fever in Saskatchewan

Carbon Copy

Published Aug 13, 2009

By Terra Simieritsch, Simon Dyer, Marc Huot

The oil sands in Saskatchewan could hold as much as 2.3 billion barrels of bitumen, and cover an area of 27,000 square kilometres. Development of oil sands is still in its early stages in Saskatchewan, so there is still an opportunity to do things properly and avoid the mistakes in Alberta.

Clearing the Air on Oil Sands Myths

Published Jun 4, 2009

By Jennifer Grant, Dan Woynillowicz, Simon Dyer

The Oil Sands Myths guide provides concise, referenced information on oil sands environmental impacts and management. An overview slide show is also available.