Oil sands will pollute Great Lakes, report warns
Massive refinery expansions for processing crude threaten to wipe out clean-up progress around world's largest body of fresh water
Massive refinery expansions for processing crude threaten to wipe out clean-up progress around world's largest body of fresh water
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081008.LAKES08/TPStory/Environment
MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT
MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT
ENVIRONMENT REPORTER
October 8, 2008
The environmental impacts of Alberta's oil sands will not be restricted to
Western Canada, researchers say, but will extend thousands of kilometres
away to the Great Lakes, threatening water and air quality around the
world's largest body of fresh water.
Western Canada, researchers say, but will extend thousands of kilometres
away to the Great Lakes, threatening water and air quality around the
world's largest body of fresh water.
In a new report, the University of Toronto's Munk Centre says the massive
refinery expansions needed to process tar sands crude, and the new pipeline
networks for transporting the fuel, amount to a "pollution delivery system"
connecting Alberta to the Great Lakes region of Canada and the U.S.
refinery expansions needed to process tar sands crude, and the new pipeline
networks for transporting the fuel, amount to a "pollution delivery system"
connecting Alberta to the Great Lakes region of Canada and the U.S.
It warns that the refineries will be using the Great Lakes "as a cheap
supply" source for their copious water needs and the area's air "as a
pollution dump."
supply" source for their copious water needs and the area's air "as a
pollution dump."
The report, which is being released today at a conference at the
university, says that as many as 17 major refinery expansions around the
lakes are being considered for turning the tar-like Alberta bitumen into
gasoline and other petroleum products. While not all will be undertaken,
enough of them will be to have a regional environmental impact.
university, says that as many as 17 major refinery expansions around the
lakes are being considered for turning the tar-like Alberta bitumen into
gasoline and other petroleum products. While not all will be undertaken,
enough of them will be to have a regional environmental impact.
Proposed pipeline and refinery projects around the lakes are expected to
lead to total investments of more than $31-billion (U.S.) by 2015, spending
similar in scale to expenditures at many oil sands projects. For this
reason, the report says the various projects, when taken together, threaten
to "wipe out many of the pollution control gains" achieved around the lakes
since the 1970s.
lead to total investments of more than $31-billion (U.S.) by 2015, spending
similar in scale to expenditures at many oil sands projects. For this
reason, the report says the various projects, when taken together, threaten
to "wipe out many of the pollution control gains" achieved around the lakes
since the 1970s.
The massive expenditures are needed because typical refineries can't
process heavy crude derived from tar sands without costly upgrades.
process heavy crude derived from tar sands without costly upgrades.
"This expansion promises to bring with it an exponential increase in
pollution, discharges into waterways including the Great Lakes, destruction
of wetlands, toxic air emissions, acid rain, and huge increases in
greenhouse gas emissions," it says.
pollution, discharges into waterways including the Great Lakes, destruction
of wetlands, toxic air emissions, acid rain, and huge increases in
greenhouse gas emissions," it says.
Most of the projected spending is on the U.S. side of the lakes. Only one
major refinery project has been announced for the Canadian side, but that
expansion, at a Shell refinery in Sarnia, was put on hold in July because
of surging costs.
major refinery project has been announced for the Canadian side, but that
expansion, at a Shell refinery in Sarnia, was put on hold in July because
of surging costs.
However, two big Canadian companies, TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. with its
Keystone project, and Enbridge Inc., with its Alberta Clipper project, are
vying to build pipelines to bring crude from the tar sands to U.S.
refineries around the lakes.
Keystone project, and Enbridge Inc., with its Alberta Clipper project, are
vying to build pipelines to bring crude from the tar sands to U.S.
refineries around the lakes.
The report says the environmental effects in Alberta from tar sands
development - from dying ducks caught in tailings ponds to massive carbon
dioxide emissions - are well known, but the implications for the Great
Lakes "are less well-understood and less extensively explored."
development - from dying ducks caught in tailings ponds to massive carbon
dioxide emissions - are well known, but the implications for the Great
Lakes "are less well-understood and less extensively explored."
Policy makers around the lakes, in both Canada and the U.S., are largely
unaware that the tar sands will lead to massive industrial development in
their region, and consequently have no strategy to minimize the
environmental impacts, it says.
unaware that the tar sands will lead to massive industrial development in
their region, and consequently have no strategy to minimize the
environmental impacts, it says.
Some of the harshest criticism is for the Ontario government, which it
characterizes as "remarkably unengaged" over how tar sands oil will affect
the province and "doesn't seem to even be asking the key questions, let
alone contemplating the possible policy answers."
characterizes as "remarkably unengaged" over how tar sands oil will affect
the province and "doesn't seem to even be asking the key questions, let
alone contemplating the possible policy answers."
There has been one major dispute in the U.S. over a tar sands-related
refinery expansion, at a British Petroleum facility at Whiting, Ind. The
company proposed a $3-billion refinery modernization that would raise
discharges of two pollutants by about 35 per cent and 54 per cent
respectively. But it backed down and pledged not to increase the pollutants
after a public outcry.
refinery expansion, at a British Petroleum facility at Whiting, Ind. The
company proposed a $3-billion refinery modernization that would raise
discharges of two pollutants by about 35 per cent and 54 per cent
respectively. But it backed down and pledged not to increase the pollutants
after a public outcry.
The 54-page report, called How the Oil Sands Got To The Great Lakes Basin,
is being issued by the Munk Centre's program on water issues.
is being issued by the Munk Centre's program on water issues.
Among its recommendations is a call for refineries to offset all of the
additional carbon dioxide emissions they produce because of the difficulty
of processing oil sands crude.
additional carbon dioxide emissions they produce because of the difficulty
of processing oil sands crude.
These emissions are estimated at 2.3 million tonnes a year, or about the
same amount as produced by about 500,000 typically driven cars. Another
recommendation is to require all refinery expansions to meet California's
strict air-pollution standards, the toughest in North America.
same amount as produced by about 500,000 typically driven cars. Another
recommendation is to require all refinery expansions to meet California's
strict air-pollution standards, the toughest in North America.
Submitted by Alan L. Maki
