The Health implications in terms of these projects are vast, and not just the deadly explosions and industrial accidents that happen in production-—from reported increases in rare forms of cancer downstream from tar sands production to the pollution of fresh water leading to poisoned diets (fish, moose and plant toxicity)—-direct links are hard to establish but impossible to either rule out or ignore, especially where tarsand operations constitute overwhelmingly the greatest change to the environment in most corners of the continent effected directly by tarsand infrastructure.
The Beaver Lake Cree Nation vs the Tar Sands
July 15th, 2009
The following article was written by Drew Mildon, a lawyer at the Canadian law firm Woodward and Company. Woodward and Company is overseeing the Beaver Lake Cree Nation law suit against the Government of Canada.
Chinese firms say they don't owe Alberta oilsands worker any wages
Canadian Press
By John Cotter
July 10 / 2009
EDMONTON — Companies linked to a Chinese energy giant say they don't owe any wages to a man who was employed as a temporary foreign worker at an Alberta oilsands project.
He is one of 132 Chinese men who worked at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.'s Horizon project in 2007. The Alberta government says the workers are owed $3 million in missing wages.
Summit aimed for informed decisions
Published: July 08, 2009 6:00 AM
Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline proposal and the Alberta oil sands development as a whole were the targets of an All Nations Energy Summit held recently in Moricetown.
Representatives of First Nations from the Athabaskan to Kitamaat were in attendance to voice their opinion about the tar sands and the destruction of their traditional lands.
O’Connor says he was ‘bullied’ by committee
CAROL CHRISTIAN
July 6, 2009
Today staff
When local physician Dr. John O'Connor appeared June 11 in Ottawa before the federal committee looking into the impact of oilsands development on freshwater, it wasn't the enlightening question and answer session he expected.
Instead he was grilled about his credentials, background and the last remaining complaint filed by Health Canada of causing undue alarm when he blew the whistle on elevated cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan.
53 charges for CNRL, contractors
CAROL CHRISTIAN
Today staff
Following a record 53 charges laid against three companies for a 2007 accident that killed two workers at the oilsands work site, the Alberta Federation of Labour blames the provincial government for not being more vigilant to prevent such a tragedy.
Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) announced 53 charges yesterday in connection to the April 24, 2007, accident that also injured four other workers, two seriously, at the Canadian Natural Resources Horizon project, about 75 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.
An alternative anniversary
Charlotte Hilling
Northern News Services
Published Friday, July 3, 2009
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The social justice coalition Alternatives North has been making life easier for some, and uncomfortable for others, according to a raft of speakers at the 17th anniversary get together last Friday.
Union of Northern Workers president Todd Parsons said he would struggle to cope with his workload if it were not for the volunteer organization.
"I could not do all this work by myself - and because Alternatives North exists - I don't have to," he said.
Little hope in the pipeline
Repeated delays of Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline have Inuvik seeing red
By Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post
July 2, 2009
Inuvik, N.W.T. -- The conversation in this town of 3,500 in the Western Arctic should be about aboriginal self-sufficiency, environmentally responsible Northern development and a new clean-energy storehouse with immense potential. After all, the proposed $16.2-billion Mackenzie Valley natural-gas pipeline project was supposed to be under construction by now.
** Community and Public Health Advocates Halt Chevron Refinery Expansion
_________________________________________________
For Immediate Release: July 2, 2009
Contact:
Will Rostov, Earthjustice, (510) 550-6725
Torm Nompraseurt, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, (510) 323-5245
Greg Karras, Communities for a Better Environment, (415) 902-2666
Henry Clark, West County Toxics Coalition, (510) 232-3427
Community and Public Health Advocates Halt Chevron Refinery Expansion at
Richmond, CA
Martinez, CA – Contra Costa County Superiior Court Judge Barbara Zuniga has
Opponents Try Late Rally Against Enbridge Clipper
Published July 01 2009
Duluth News Tribune
Opponents of the Enbridge Alberta Clipper pipeline rallied Tuesday in Duluth to announce they are trying legal and political efforts to stop the oil pipeline.
Marty Cobenais, with the Indigenous Environmental Network, based in Bemidji, describes the pollution and environmental destruction caused by mining tar sands in Alberta at a news conference Tuesday in Duluth.
Book documents discarding of three decades of oilsands knowledge
By Darcy Henton, Edmonton Journal
June 29, 2009
Some might call it '32 lost years.'
When Edmontonian Larry Pratt wrote his book Tarsands in 1976, he warned Albertans about the environmental, social and economic ramifications of rapid development of the oilsands, north of Fort McMurray. Thirty-two years later, Calgarian Andrew Nikiforuk provides in shocking detail in his book, also called Tarsands, just where that frenzied development has got us.
It raises the question: Where was everybody during those three decades?
