Alberta Oil Spill Details Still Unknown Six Days In
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- Published on Thursday, 13 October 2016 07:00
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Cause and Volume of Pipeline Spill in Alberta Wetland Still Unknown Six Days In
A crude oil pipeline operated by Trilogy Energy Corp has released an unknown volume of oil emulsion, a mixture of oil and produced water, into surrounding marshland, according to the Alberta Energy Regulator.
Trilogy employees conducting a right-of-way inspection on the pipeline located at the company’s Kaybob Montney oil project near Fox Creek, Alberta, discovered the spill on October 6. Both the cause and volume of the spill remain undetermined.
An Alberta Energy Regulator spokesperson told us an inspector and staff are on site to ensure “an appropriate response to the incident” but could not provide more details on the spill. Read more.
Kamloops Councillor Claims Ajax Open-Pit Mine Application Violates Canadian Charter
Just over a hill, beyond the rolling grasslands that flank Kamloops, there’s a looming problem that could upend the lifestyle of neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the city and, after years of debate about whether a massive open-pit mine would be a good neighbour, one city councillor is appealing to the provincial government to suspend the process, claiming it might violate Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The proposal for a gold and copper mine less than three kilometres from a school and even closer to homes, with a tailings pond and dam sitting above a city of 90,000 people, has divided Kamloops residents and city council since an application for the Ajax mine was made by a Polish mining company more than six years ago. Read more.
Halting Construction of Site C Could Save $112-million Annually, Says Energy Expert
As the cost of producing energy from wind and sun continues to drop, power produced by the Site C dam will be an increasingly bad bargain, according to leading U.S. energy economist Robert McCullough.
In a report comparing the cost of nuclear, hydro and natural gas energy with power produced by solar and land-based wind farms, McCullough concludes renewables cost less than half the cost of hydro.
“While there would be costs associated with suspending or halting construction of Site C, I remain of the view that BC Hydro could save $112.74-million on an annual basis by instead building wind and solar. This amount could be higher if tax credits for renewable energy were considered,” McCullough wrote to Ken Boon, Peace Valley Landowner Association president. Read more.
Robyn Allan Q&A: Trudeau Government ‘Dangerously Misled’ on Kinder Morgan Pipeline
Economist Robyn Allan has a penchant for details. The former president and CEO of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia also sees the benefits of informed decision-making, which is why Allan recently wrote a myth-busting letter to federal minister of natural resources, Jim Carr, on the issue of oil pipelines.
The minister, Allan said, had been “dangerously misled” by senior ministerial staff about the economic benefits of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline project. An internal document provided to Minister Carr, and subsequently released through Freedom of Information legislation, was “riddled with factual and analytical mistakes and displays a lack of attention to detail,” Allan wrote in her letter. Read more.
Laws Needed to Protect Citizens from Industry, Government SLAPP Suits: B.C. Civil Liberties Association
Allowing wealthy corporations or powerful government agencies to launch baseless court cases against citizens who speak out against them is putting a chill on free expression in B.C. and there is a growing need for legislation against SLAPP suits.
It is time to fight back against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP), which aim to intimidate and silence critics by landing them with the often-unmanageable cost of defending themselves against an unwarranted lawsuit, said Micheal Vonn, B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) policy director, who believes SLAPP suits are undermining B.C.’s democratic health.
BCCLA is aiming to put pressure on the provincial government to bring in anti-SLAPP legislation, similar to changes introduced last year in Ontario, to help those threatened with legal action to defend themselves against those with powerful financial interests and deep pockets. Read more.
BC Hydro Repeating Painful History with First Nations
Fifty-five years ago, construction crews started one of the tallest earth dams in the world 22 kilometres west of Hudson’s Hope, B.C. It was to flood a valley shaped by the Parsnip and Finlay Rivers.
This secluded paradise had been home to the Tsay Keh Dene for millennia. It was where they derived their livelihoods, established their identity, honoured their ancestors and envisioned their future. The band was not consulted about the project. No plans were drawn up to help them move ancestors to new burial sites or establish a new village. r15 |r0
