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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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).

With available fresh water resources expected to decrease as a result of climate change, Alberta faces the challenge of meeting its growing demand for water in a sustainable manner. This report draws attention to the decline of summer river flows, the future effects of climate change on water supply and the projected growth in demand for water for energy production and to meet the needs of a growing population. It also documents Alberta’s contribution to climate change through growing greenhouse gas emissions, which the Government of Alberta will allow to continue to increase through 2020.

Cette fiche d’information fournit un vue d’ensemble des données présentes dans la publication de l’Institut Pembina “La fièvre des sables bitumineux: Les conséquences écologiques de la ruée vers les sables bitumineux du Canada”.

Also available in English.

This series of videos documents the Athabasca River Expedition as it celebrates this extraordinary western waterway and reveals threats to the river and its watershed, a symbol of Canadian identity and wilderness.

A huge thanks to QuantumShift.tv for their help in making these videos possible!

These poll results are Part 1 of a two-part survey commissioned by the Pembina Institute to gauge Albertans' perceptions of oil sands development. Part 1, focuses on Albertans' perceptions of the pace and scale of oil sands development. The results of Part 2, which focuses on Albertans' perspectives on royalties and economic issues associated with oil sands development, was released on May 15, 2007.

In response to Phase II of the Alberta Oil Sands Consultations, the Pembina Institute released this blueprint that calls for a moratorium on new oil sands project approvals and lease sales until six key requirements for responsible development are addressed.
 

This four page summary takes a critical look at the tax and royalty treatment of Alberta's oil sands. An outdated royalty regime and federal tax breaks are costing Albertans and Canadians money in the form of forgone tax and royalty revenues. Between 1996 and 2005, royalty revenue per barrel of oil from oil sands   declined 32% and the federal government lost up to $1.65 billion in tax revenue. Albertans as owners of the oil sands need to demand that their resource manager, the Minister of Energy get them a better deal for oil sands developments. And Canadians need to demand that the Federal Minister of Finance eliminate subsidies to a very profitable industry.

An Oil Sands Multi-stakeholder Committee was formed to lead a public consultation on the development of oil sands. Seven public input sessions were held across Alberta from September 13 to October 4, 2006 and people from across Canada and internationally were invited to send their concerns by email to the Panel. Pembina experts presented at five of the seven sessions (listed below). This final letter to the Panel summarizes Pembina's presentations (also listed below).

This fact sheet provides an overview of key facts and figures from The Pembina Institute's book Oil Sands Fever: The Environmental Implications of Canada's Oil Sands Rush.

The Pembina Institute's book, Death by a Thousand Cuts: The Impacts of In Situ Oil Sands Development on Alberta's Boreal Forest examines the environmental impacts of in situ (in place) development of deep oil sands that has the potential to affect a forested region 50 times larger than the areas leased for oil sands mining north of Fort McMurray.

Death by a Thousand Cuts is an interactive Flash movie featuring over-flights of the massive oil sands developments in northern Alberta. Shot on the ground and from the air north and south of Fort McMurray, this interactive movie shows and explains the oil sands mining operations north of Fort McMurray and the larger deep oil sands in situ operations from the air. Oil sands mining leases already cover 3,000 km² of boreal forest; the in situ deep oil sands operations could cover 21 % of Alberta if all leases are sold.

The Pembina Institute commissioned Probe Research Inc. to conduct a study to gauge public attitudes towards the environmental and economic impacts of oil sands development in Alberta and to identify the roles and responsibilities of the public and private sectors involved in oil sands development.

The Pembina Institute commissioned Probe Research Inc., a professional research and survey organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to conduct a study among Alberta adults. The purpose of the study was to gauge public attitudes towards the environmental and economic impacts of oil sands development in Alberta and to ascertain Albertans' understanding and expectations regarding the roles and responsibilities of the public and private sectors involved in oil sands development.

Oil sands mining and steam injection, to produce oil from bitumen that is too deep to mine, currently use vast amounts of water from rivers and groundwater. Rapid expansion in tar sands production means new technology and policies described in the report must be implemented to reduce water use.