Mason: alternative oilsands promotion plan
November 17, 2011
Alberta’s NDP Opposition leader Brian Mason says Premier Alison Redford must step up to the plate with real commitments in cleaning up our oilsands or risk making a bad perception worse.
"Americans are used to Alberta PCs parading around Washington offering talk with no substance. Redford needs to make clear commitments to show Alberta is serious about improving its environmental record," Mason says.
Assuring quality jobs for Albertans by requiring bitumen to be upgraded in Alberta should be priority one. Redford should also take three immediate actions to address concerns about Alberta’s oil:
- Take immediate steps toward a world-class air, water and land monitoring system, beginning with the 20 recommendations of Alberta’s Environmental Monitoring Panel’s June 2011 report.
- Forbid any more exemptions to ERCB Directive 074, which established tailings performance criteria and requirements for oilsands mining; also, set a target date for eliminating tailings ponds.
- Set firm overall caps for greenhouse gas emissions, with incentives to embrace emerging mining technologies that reduce water consumption and greenhouse gas production during processing.
"The future of Alberta’s economy depends on keeping all international markets open. As premier, I’ll work to meet international expectations for our oil," Mason says.