Northern Alberta band sues over oilsands dev’t

Steve Lillebuen

edmontonjournal.com

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

CREDIT: Chris Scwarz/Edmonton Journal Chief Vern Janvier of the Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation speaking at a news coinference about a lawsuit against the Alberta government over planned oilsands development.

EDMONTON – A small First Nations band in northern Alberta has launched legal action against the Alberta government over continuing oilsands development in the region.

In a statement of claim filed today, the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation alleges that it was not properly consulted when oilsands leases were acquired in its territory, which infringes on its constitutional rights.

“Nobody respects who we are,” Chief Vern Janvier said with tears in his eyes at a press conference. “There’s no consideration for us and there never has been.”

MEG Energy Corp. has several planned projects in the area. The band alleges in its claim that the company’s projects are located in the “bread basket” of tradition lands that have supplied fish, game and other resources for generations of native groups.

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Alberta Tar Sands to Bring Acid Rain to Saskatchewan

Hannah Scissons
Canwest News Service

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

SASKATOON – Alberta’s growing oilsands development could bring acid rain down on neighbouring Saskatchewan, says an environmental expert.

Trent University Prof. Peter Dillon says Saskatchewan could see acid rain similar to what Eastern Canada experienced in past decades.

Dillon spoke in Saskatoon on Tuesday in a presentation sponsored by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and Environmental Defence.

The damage from the pollution emitted by the oilsands takes years to materialize, but the time to act on it is now, rather than after the damage is already done, Dillon said in an interview.

“Typically, you don’t see impacts for a few decades; that’s the lesson we’ve learned from Eastern Canada, and certainly Europe, as well.”

It’s essential to start collecting data now on the state of the soil, lakes and rivers, so the effects of the pollution from the oilsands near Fort McMurray, Alta., can be properly measured, he said.

The most sensitive parts of northern Saskatchewan, where the soil is thin in the rocky Canadian Shield, will likely be where the effects of acidification are first observed.