Oil Sands Watch | Pembina Institute

 

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Mining vs. In Situ

What is the highest environmental impact oil?

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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 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.

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

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

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.

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.

Published Jun 4, 2009

By Jennifer Grant, Dan Woynillowicz, Simon Dyer

This slideshow identifies a growing body of oil sands “spin” from federal and Alberta politicians and the oil sands industry and counters them with the plain facts about oil sands impacts.

Published Jun 4, 2009

By Simon Dyer

A letter sent to Canadian and U.S. politicians alerting them to the availability of a new Pembina Institute resource that provides clear, factual information on the environmental impacts of Canada’s oil sands development.

Published May 13, 2009

By Simon Dyer

The Pembina Institute's submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Hearings, also known as the Oil and Water Hearings.

Oil Sands and Water

A Growing Toxic Legacy for Canada

Published May 13, 2009

By Simon Dyer

Simon Dyer, the Pembina Institute's Oil Sands Program Director, presented on the impact of oil sands development on water resources as part of the Pembina Institute's submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Hearings (also known as the Oil and Water Hearings).

Published Apr 7, 2009

By Dan Woynillowicz, Marlo Raynolds, Simon Dyer

On behalf of the Oil Sands Environmental Coalition, the Pembina Institute and Ecojustice filed an affidavit with the Alberta ERCB and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency requesting that the approval of Royal Dutch Shell’s Jackpine Mine and Muskeg River Mine Expansion oil sands projects be re-considered through a new public hearing.