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Nez Perce Tribal leaders and other protesters stand in
the way of a megaload bound for the Alberta oilsands early Tuesday morning in
Idaho.
Photograph by: Lewiston Tribune/Steve Hanks, AP
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Showing posts with label oil sands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oil sands. Show all posts
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Mega loads cross Idaho en route to Alberta
Sunday, March 25, 2012
A Tanker Ban: Good or Bad for Canada?
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| Click directly on map for larger image |
An important part of the debate over the Northern Gateway Pipeline revolves around the tanker traffic that would be required along our West Cost to move the oil to off shore markets.
Speaking to one side of the argument is the MacDonald-Laurier Institute, which produced a three essay report on March 16, 2012, titled “Making oil and water mix: Oil tanker traffic on Canada’s West Coast”.
They wrote an op-ed piece that appeared last week in the Calgary Herald. “Crowley, Clemens: A ban on tanker traffic would be bad for Canada”.
On the other side of the debate is the Dogwood Institute. They responded to that report in a blog post, saying in part: “All in all, John’s essay serves up little more than platitudes that do nothing for our marine environments or the communities and jobs that depend on them.”
Still with the Dogwood Institute: About a year ago, they produced a video “From Tar Sands to Tankers”, which is inserted below.
Yesterday, a related article appeared in the Victoria Times Colonist “May calls for tanker ban on oil-spill anniversary”.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
COSIA is born
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Executives from the 12 biggest oilsands producers unite Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Calgary to announce the creation of the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance. The "overarching collaborative hub" was formed to share information and help advance research and technology to improve environmental practices. Photograph by: Dean Bicknell , Calgary Herald |
On Friday, twelve companies involved in oil sands extraction announced that they are joining forces in what they are calling COSIA – Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance.
They propose to cooperate on strategies dealing with four environmental issues: tailings, land, water and greenhouse gasses.
There was an editorial, “Clearing the Fog” in yesterday’s Calgary Herald as well as an opinion piece “COSIA needs to ‘up its game’ to survive” by Deborah Yedlin.
A related article “Green alliance draws praise” noted that The Pembina Institute and The Nature Conservancy of Canada were in the audience at the news event, and “applauded the goals of the initiative”.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Oilsands critic goes from zero to hero
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Dr David Schindler was publicly discredited by the provincial government and some media in 2010 when his study showed serious pollution downstream from the oilsands. On Friday, he was praised by both federal and provincial environment ministers for creating the “spark” that led to the new monitoring system for the oilsands. Photograph by: Ryan Jackson, Calgary Herald Archive |
Oilsands critic goes from zero to hero
By Don Braid,
Calgary Herald
February 4, 2012
An outcast less than two years ago, U of A scientist David Schindler is now courted reverently by politicians as they desperately try to recapture credibility on the oilsands.
In 2010, the province said the ecology professor was dead wrong when his study showed serious pollution downstream from the oilsands.
For many months he was a man scorned, criticized and derided by politicians and some media.
Schindler, 72, concedes that he had some bad moments because he refused to back down under severe political pressure.
"I had a pretty tough year when all this was going on," he says. "My wife had cancer. So I'd spend my day here dealing with all this crap and then sit with her in the hospital.
"It was a pretty tough period."
Today, the much better news is that his wife is cancer-free; and governments not only acknowledge Schindler was right, but almost plead for his approval as they scramble to recover from decades of environmental laxity.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
More on Mega Loads
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Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil megaloads will pass through Idaho and Montana this summer. They will enter Canada via Sweet Grass, MT. The loads, which will travel on Highway 95 and Interstate 90, will be smaller than the full-sized module pictured here. |
Fighting Goliath
Hauling oilsands equipment thru Montana opposed
Last Friday, Imperial Oil received approval to apply for permits to move two of its ‘mega loads’ – but only on U.S. 95 and I90, and only for ‘chopped down’ versions that would fit under highway overpasses.
However, Imperial has not decided whether to make use of the permits. It’s still hoping for approval to use scenic waterways and highways 12 and 200 in Idaho and Montana.
That route has met with serious opposition from local groups, determined to protect the Lochsa and Clearwater Rivers, and to prevent this ‘Wild & Scenic’ route from becoming an ‘industrial’ route.
Imperial, which was reported to have originally stated that the mega loads could not be reduced in size, is doing just that, at a cost of $500,000 per unit. 33 units are currently sitting at the Port of Lewiston.
The story below was in yesterday’s Calgary Herald.
Imperial may not use Idaho permits
By Dan Healing,
Calgary Herald
June 21, 2011
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