Municipality wants brakes on oilsands developments
The local government in the heart of Alberta's oilsands region wants some curbs on future development until the demands on the community's infrastructure are eased.
On Tuesday, councillors in the Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray, voted unanimously to apply for intervenor status in a Suncor application to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board.
Suncor will go before the board on July 5, seeking approval to expand its oilsands project.
- INDEPTH: Alberta Oilsands
The council also plans to seek intervenor status in all future oilsands expansion applications.
"If we can't get our housing situation under control, we can't get people to move to the community," said Mayor Melissa Blake.
"If we can't get people to move to the community, we are going to start losing business services and things like that. We have already seen some of the impacts of that, where people are taking the opportunity to take housing gains they've experienced while they are here and leaving the community."
Blake said the Alberta government and the oilsands companies must offer more money to the municipality for infrastructure projects.
The Fort McMurray area has faced housing shortages and big demands on its infrastructure as a result of the booming growth in oilsands development.
Wood Buffalo has forecast its debt will be as high as $263 million by the end of this year.
Darcie Park, a spokeswoman for Suncor, says it is not in the business of building roads, sewers and police stations.
"The industry does pay a considerable amount of taxes and royalties to the province, which then can be used to fund public infrastructure projects," said Park.
The municipality is seeking the right to tax oilsands companies differently from other businesses. The Alberta government hasn't issued a decision yet on the taxes.
At municipal hearings held in May and June, long-time residents complained the high cost of living is forcing them out. Others said no one is monitoring the environmental effects of development.
In Fort Chipewyan, residents want development stopped until scientists figure out why it seems many in the community are getting sick with rare cancers and other illnesses.
- FROM MAY 5, 2006: Fort Chipewyan health concerns ignored: residents
"Let's slow it down for a few years until we get organized and then it can continue on, but the way it's going we haven't even got time for planning stuff in Fort McMurray," said Counc. Sonny Flett.
While everyone seems to agree development is happening too fast, a few are uneasy about applying the brakes.
"There has to be some kind of workable, creative solution to this," said area resident Kevin Elliott.