Media Contact: Chris Severson-Baker

Today the Government of Alberta will be releasing its plan to consult with Albertans about oil sands development.

This long overdue consultation will solicit Albertans' views on the oil sands and the significant environmental, social and economic challenges arising from rapid development of the oil sands. "This announcement is an acknowledgment that the pace of oil sands development has exceeded the Alberta government's expectations and now it needs a plan to deal with the negative consequences of this accelerated growth," said Chris Severson-Baker, Director of the Energy Watch Program for the Pembina Institute. "We are urging Albertans to take part in this process. It is an opportunity for Albertans to speak directly to the government and stakeholder panel about their hopes and concerns for the development of this resource, the environment and Alberta's future."

The Government must reconcile further oil sands development with Albertans' expectations that the environment and climate will be protected and benefits will be maximized. A poll commissioned by the Pembina Institute in the spring of 2006 found that 91 percent of Albertans expect the environment to be protected, even if this means slowing down the pace of oil sands development. 84 percent of Albertans support the need for a public review of oil sands royalties, while 63 percent believe that Albertans are not receiving maximum revenue from oil sands development. According to Severson-Baker, "It is often said that the oil sands present Alberta with a world-class opportunity, but they also present significant environmental implications that require world-class leadership on the part of industry and government."

Strip-mining the boreal forest for oil sands is leading to habitat destruction that threatens the long-term sustainability of the region's ecosystems. Emissions from oil sands operations have made Alberta the air pollution capital of Canada. The oil sands are the country's fastest growing source of greenhouse gas pollution. In addition, oil sands operations are using vast quantities of water from the Athabasca River and ground water to extract oil from the sand.

For more information on the environmental implications of oil sands development visit www.oilsandswatch.org.

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For more information contact:
Chris Severson-Baker, Director, Energy Watch Program
403.269.3344 Ext. 101