Oil and gas sector environmental liability
Re: March 21 Western Producer article “Ag must fight misinformation, says consultant” on page 35.
If Terry Nemeth is truly an environmental consultant, she should be highlighting the tremendous liability that the Alberta oil and gas sector has imposed on Alberta and Canadian taxpayers.
As a former loans manager, I would place Alberta and Saskatchewan as high risk clients: in Alberta with the abandoned oil wells, poor reclamation of the coal mines and potential liability of the oil sands and in Saskatchewan, the massive potash tailings.
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Canadian taxpayers are already faced with the cost of clean-up, a process that is supposed to be paid by the oil and mining companies.
If Nemeth is truly an environmental consultant, she would know of the difficulties and impossibilities of cleansing harmful chemicals from the coal mine tailings, the tailing ponds of the oil sands, and pharmaceuticals from the waterways.
She would know of the environmental damage in Lake Winnipeg from farm chemicals and hog barns.
It seems that Nemeth is greenwashing rather than presenting a balanced view of the serious risks we face. To accuse activists of using “public relations stunts, misinformation, shoddy reports and scare mongering” does nothing to establish a forum for discussion or to address our environmental concerns.
Frank Orosz
High River, Alta.
Sask. needs wetland conservation policy
Saskatchewan is the only province in Canada without a wetland conservation policy.
We continue to lose wetlands at an alarming rate. Ag drainage continues without licenses or approval and there is no monitoring or enforcement of the law that requires one. As a result, downstream properties are being drained upon and now the Water Security Agency is charging a new fee of $1,000 for anyone needing to submit a drainage complaint.
Our neighbouring provinces, Alberta and Manitoba, understand the benefits of wetlands. They manage wetland conservation by policy and have incorporated a no-further-loss approach. Penalties are enforced for those who break the law.
The Saskatchewan government is developing a new policy called the Ag Water Stewardship Policy, but there is no provision for wetland conservation. It’s a drainage policy that will promote the drainage of two million acres of wetlands.
Scientists and water experts warn about the danger we will be faced with if wetlands continue to be drained or degraded:
- Increased toxic algae blooms in our lakes and rivers.
- Increased infrastructure damage and costs due to flooding.
- Water hauling or deeper wells for household use due to a shortage of groundwater sources.
- Increased health-care costs due to fresh-water pollution.
- Decreased property values due to lack of fishing, swimming etc.
- Decreased tourism revenues associated with a healthy ecosystem.
The Water Security Agency is trying to convince us that 86 per cent of wetlands remain undrained. Researchers have shown that in some parts of Saskatchewan we’ve lost 90 per cent of the wetlands.
The definition of stewardship is the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices.
How can this policy be called a stewardship policy when it only benefits a few, won’t allow wetland restoration, ignores downstream impacts and fails to protect the environment?
Sherry Forsyth
Saskatchewan Alliance for
Water Sustainability
