Alberta issues 20-year plan for enviro-friendly oilsands

Alberta has released a 20-year plan intended to give its oilsands developments a cleaner environmental image around the world, but the strategy is light on specifics.

A government report Thursday calls for action to reduce emissions, curb fresh water use and cut tailings produced by oilsands projects.

Premier Ed Stelmach said Alberta needs to communicate with Canadians and the U.S. that the province is willing to further reduce the environmental impact of the oilsands.

"We did put a levy on [emissions]," said Stelmach. "We've shown progress and we continually have to do more."

But the 50-page document offers no details on how measures to achieve the goals would be enforced.

One section says the energy industry should be required "to use best available technology" that is "economically achievable." The fine print doesn't cast much more light when it explains that this "refers to technology that can achieve superior performances and has been demonstrated to be economically feasible."

A plan to reduce emissions is also vague and there's no indication it would improve on Alberta's existing strategy to allow total oilsands emissions to continue increasing until 2020 before gradual reductions over several decades.

Critics call report part of PR campaign

Liberal environment critic Kevin Taft said the report appears to be part of the Alberta government's multimillion-dollar public relations campaign for the oilsands. 

"It's a rehash of stuff that's been on the shelf for years," said Taft. "It gives no course of action."

"I'm afraid it backfires. Instead of building confidence, this reveals them for really not knowing what they're doing at all."

Environmental groups immediately dismissed the oilsands report as a publicity stunt. Greenpeace said other nations will "not be fooled" by a plan that is "completely void of details."

"It has absolutely no timelines and no actual targets," said Greenpeace activist Mike Hudema. "It seems to be more of a public relations ploy than a real strategy that's going to stop the incredible environmental damage caused by the tarsands."

An industry spokesman praised the report.

Don Thompson, president of the Oilsands Developers Group, dismissed criticism that the report lacked detail. He said the province's $2-billion investment in carbon capture is "leading around the world and something that should be applauded."

Fighting 'dirty oil' label

Alberta has been feeling global pressure to clean up the oilsands, which have been labelled by several countries as a source of "dirty" oil.

"Increased global focus on the environment has put energy development and Alberta's oilsands under a spotlight," says the report.

The frantic pace of development in recent years has also created a severe shortage of housing, infrastructure and skilled workers in northern Alberta, so the report suggests major oilsands companies should be required to help plan and finance some infrastructure projects, including transportation networks.

The Alberta government has been hearing complaints for years about allowing unbridled oilsands development at the expense of the environment and nearby communities.

The document says the province needs to "identify social and infrastructure needs associated with oilsands development." It also calls for planners to take into account the "shadow population" living in trailers, campgrounds and even tents around Fort McMurray.

Report calls on building ties with First Nations

There's also a section dealing with how energy companies need to build better relationships with local aboriginal communities, which have been highly critical of oilsands pollution.

The report calls for more consultation with First Nations "to understand the potential cumulative environmental impacts." It also says a pilot project is needed to "obtain baseline data to measure how cumulative impacts of development may impact Métis lands."

 Alberta's energy regulator issued a directive last week that will require oilsands producers to clean up dozens of giant tailings ponds over several decades. The lake-sized toxic sludge pits made headlines around the world last April when 500 ducks landed on them and died.

The report says Alberta should require "reclamation of tailings to occur at the same rate or faster than production of new tailings on a regional basis."

There are several points in the report dealing with curbing the huge volumes of fresh water used during the processing of tar-like bitumen, but the report has no clear goals or targets.

"Maximize water conservation, efficiency and productivity in the mineable oilsands sector to the lowest water use achievable," it says. "Identify the amount of fresh water and saline groundwater available in the oilsands regions to ensure water supplies are managed sustainably."