Assessment of the potential positive and negative environmental, health, social, economic and cultural effects of the proposed activity. As described in the student material this has become a major issue and could have significant impact on the plans for oil sands development. The worlds second largest country by area, canada is also home to the oil sands, the third. Impact on water, greenhouse gases and on northern alberta ecosystem a major concern. Quantifying the impacts of oil sands development on wildlife. The impact of oil sands on the environment and health. Introduction to the environmental impact assessment open.
Japex, currently produces approximately 8,000 barrels of. Impacts of oil sands contaminants on downstream residents. Oil sands production requires an extremely large quantity of water. Environmental impact an overview sciencedirect topics. Environmental issues and impacts of oil sands development. Environmental impact of the oil shale industry wikipedia. Environmental impact assessment reports for large industrial disturbances such as oil sands mines and processing plants have been. The proposal involves an upgrader facilities to process and convert bitumen at a production capacity of 250,000 barrels per day.
Oil sands companies are teaming up to try and reduce their environmental impact. Oil sands conservation act province of alberta 2000. Oil sands environmental impacts 1 july 2014 chapter 1. Historical development of environmental assessment in scotland 7. The project consists of the construction, operation and reclamation of an oil sands surface mine with a production. It is predicted that investment in oil sands developments and its operations will contribute 2. Environmental impact assessment of hangingstone oil sands expansion project in the province of alberta, canada japan canada oil sands limited jacos, a consolidated subsidiary of japan petroleum exploration co. Although albertans recognize the economic benefits of the oil sands development, environmental, social, and health impacts that may be. Environmental impacts of oil sands energy education.
The extraction and refining of oil sands produces 3070% more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil production, according to estimates by alex farrell and adam brandt published in the october 2007 issue of climatic change. Environmental impact assessment of hangingstone oil sands. Although albertans recognize the economic benefits of the oil sands development, environmental, social, and health impacts that may be present in each phase of the life cycle are. Mud is used to maintain well pressure and wall stability.
Program ramp indicates a minimal impact to date on water. Institute recognizes the importance of sustainability. Environmental and health impacts of canadas oil sands. The objective of environmental impact assessment is to offer information to decision makers concerning matters that may be brought about as a result of decisions relating to a new project, program, plan or policy. Up until mid2015, in the canadian growforever, quick profit environment, the oil sands were being developed as quickly as possible with no regard for shortterm global warming impacts or longterm waste and infrastructure abandonment costs. It is important to note that the project area is benign from a geological perspective ith no known history of flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes or other climatic nor january 2011 6. A comprehensive guide to the alberta oil sands may 2011. Environmental impact assessment in accordance with the relevant statutory regimes, which for this scheme are the marine works environmental impact assessment regulations 2007 as amended and the transport and works applications and objections procedureengland and wales rules 2006. Surface mining of oil shale deposits causes the usual environmental impacts of openpit mining. Study finds little environmental impact from oil sands. Lifecycle assessments of greenhouse gas emissions congressional research service 2 the rate or magnitude of oil extraction activities in canada or the overall volume of crude oil. In estimating potential environmental impacts of oil spills, several factors are importantincluding the size and location of the release, leak, or spill. For example, when volatile organic compounds are released into the environment, the effect or impact is pollution in the form of smog, in this case.
In 2000, the oil sands industry emitted 23 mega tonnes of co2 equivalent. At the same time, many of the regions oil and gas reserves are located in ecologically sensitive areas, raising concerns about the environmental impacts of production. For information on how the average person may be affecting the environment, visit co2 footprint and anthropogenic effects. For example, a federal environmental assessment may be triggered in the case of an oil sands project which could have an impact on fish habitat. State department releases keystone xl final environmental. Volume 2 environmental impact assessment open government. Environmental impact assessment must realize decisionmaking based on the inputted. The canadian environmental assessment agency should assess lessons learned from previous cumulative environmental effects assessments of oil sands projects to identify good practices. If the greenhouse gas impact of oil sands is calculated to include the co 2 released when the fuel is burned, the discrepancy drops to 1030%, says aimee curtright, an analyst at the rand corporation and coauthor of the 2008 report unconventional fossilbased fuels. This report is an overview of the current environmental impacts of oil sands development and progress and efforts that have been made to mitigate impacts.
Environmental effects of oil and gas production exploration operators investigate the likelihood of hydrocarbons being present under the seabed using high intensity sound seismic surveys. Impact assessment and consultation in the oil sands region generally function to reassure people about their safety, while admitting that significant cumulative landscape changes are occurring and that key species and spaces may be diminished and unavailable to traditional land users for decades if not longer. Natural sources of pahs include forest fires, oil seeps, and volcanic eruptions. Jan 19, 2010 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pahs are a ubiquitous class of hundreds of organic compounds composed of two or more aromatic rings that are released naturally and from human activities. The projectspecific assessment looks at the direct effects on habitat from. Land and water impacts of oil sands production in alberta. The environmental protection agency epa has followed suit in its letters to dos concerning the pipelines environmental impacts. Speight phd, dsc, in oil sand production processes, 20. The government of canada shares responsibility with the provinces for environmental protection and is committed to ensuring the economic and energy security benefits of the oil sands are balanced by sound environmental stewardship. Environmental data access for cumulative impact assessment needs. Oil sands production in alberta has rapidly expanded over the past decade, with growing concern about a range of environmental impacts.
The production of bitumen, the molasseslike hydrocarbon that is mixed in the sand, has grown from 0. Presently, most of the bitumen is extracted through surfacemining processes that necessitate. The state department concluded in its final environmental assessment issued friday that the proposed keystone. From an environmental perspective, there is ample evidence that pipeline spills, leaks, and ruptures releasing diluted bitumen can have serious implications for the surrounding land and water. Jul 06, 2017 oil sands companies are teaming up to try and reduce their environmental impact. By focusing on key energy development issues and associated production impacts in a strategically important and. Biodiversity assessment in the oil sands region, alberta impact assessment and project appraisal march 2005 75 three scenarios in the environmental assessments that use these indicators.
This paper demonstrates an approach to regional cumulative effects management using the case of oil sands development in alberta, canada. Though this study has focused on the major environmental impacts of oil sands extraction, this source of energy also offers some advantages compared to conventional oil, remaining a very attractive asset, even under the currently depressed oil prices exxon mobil corporation, 2016b. Environmental assessment teck resources limited frontier. Biodiversity assessment in the oil sands region, northeastern. The final environmental impact statement notes that. Study finds little environmental impact from oil sands the. In the oil sands region, a large number of environmental impact assessments eias have been completed for approximately 20 oil sands projects in the past two decades.
Measurement of radioactivity level of sand fraction of nigerian oil sands for environmental impact assessment article in energy sources part a recovery utilization and environmental effects 39. These lessons learned should serve as a basis for adjusting terms of reference to proponents for future assessments of cumulative effects. It has long been recognized that there is the need for responsible resource development, and the various levels of government have put the criteria in place to assure minimal environmental impact through 1 sciencebased precautionary limits that tell us when ecosystems are threatened and 2 improvement of the systems and. B describe syncrudes history in albertas oil sands industry, with. Drilling during drilling, a drilling mud is continuously circulated between the well and the platform through a riser pipe.
Anthropogenic landscape disturbances, including industrial development, can have significant impacts on wildlife populations. As with the extraction and use of any fossil fuel, negative environmental effects arise as a result of the extraction, upgrading, and processing of bitumen from the oil sands. Request pdf eia legislation and sustainable development of oil sands projects in madagascar. Assuming that emissions in alberta and canada remain at 2000 emissions. This environmental impact assessment and associated baseline reports were.
Pdf quantifying the impacts of oil sands development on. Environmental impacts of oil sands development in alberta. Environmental impacts of the oil and gas industries the sensitivity of exploration activities including the definition of no go times or conditions. The oil sands, for instance, are of great concern to many these days as they essentially contribute to each of the above impacts, see environmental impacts of oil sands. An environmental impact is defined as any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, resulting from a facilitys activities, products, or services. The oil sands region of northeastern alberta contains the worlds largest reserves of oil, in the form of tarsand. In other words it is the effect that peoples actions have on the environment. Dec 16, 2016 though this study has focused on the major environmental impacts of oil sands extraction, this source of energy also offers some advantages compared to conventional oil, remaining a very attractive asset, even under the currently depressed oil prices exxon mobil corporation, 2016b.
Environmental impact of the oil shale industry includes the consideration of issues such as land use, waste management, and water and air pollution caused by the extraction and processing of oil shale. International journal of environmental sustainability 81. Environmental and health impacts of canadas oil sands industry. Environmental impact assessment and associated applications pertaining to the proposed statoilhydro canada ltd. Although some steps are being taken to reduce the severity of these impacts such as reclamation there are still associated. Environmental and health impacts of canadas oil sands industry 4 now covered under treaty 8, metis inhabitants, and urban communities which now occupy the oil sands region. The frontier oil sands mine project, proposed by teck resources limited includes the construction, operation and reclamation of an oil sands surface mine with a production capacity of about 260,000 barrels per day of bitumen. These cover environmental impact assessments, stakeholder consultation, operational practices and resource management. An assessment of the environmental implications of oil and. The environmental impact of the oil sands is an issue that has been extremely divisive. Oil sands developments are subject to rigorous requirements and monitoring set out by regulatory agencies in the province of alberta and by the canadian federal government. That is approximately 3% of canadas and 11% of albertas total emissions that year. Pdf crude oil from oil sands will constitute a substantial share of future global oil. Eia has become established worldwide as an environmental.
The report also identifies some of the challenges associated with acquiring and analyzing relevant environmental impact data. The committee heard testimony that this rate of output could very well triple within the next ten years and even increase by five times by 2030. Environmental social impact assessment during site preparation, construction activities may impact the land. Environmental impacts of the oil and gas industries. Oil sands, public health and politics in fort chipewyan. Environmental impact assessment and associated applications pertaining to the proposed teck resources limited frontier oil sands mine. Introduction this report aims to provide the reader with an overview of the current environmental impacts of development of the oil sands resource in the province of alberta. The worlds second largest country by area, canada is also home to the oil sands. The bitumen deposits underlying alberta, canada, represent the third largest proven reserve of crude oil in the world. The development of the canadian oil sands has a considerable and growing impact on the the environment. Since development began around 40 years ago, 84,000 square kilometres of land underlain with oil sands deposits has been leased in alberta, accounting for about 60% of the total resource area. Canadian environmental assessment act, 2012 and its terms of reference to assess the environmental effects of the project.
In canada, federal, territorial, and provincial laws require major industrial development projects to submit detailed environmental impact assessments eia reports as part of the project application process. Eia legislation and sustainable development of oil sands. The rapid development of the oil sands, which appears to be exponential, has raised major concerns for different sectors of society. Assessment of downstream effects of oil sands operations within the regional aquatics monitoring. Environmental impact assessment eia course curriculum for tertiary level institutions in pakistan national impact assessment programme niap pakistan thomas b fischer phd fiema and obaidullah nadeem phd fipp september 20. Pdf quantifying the impacts of oil sands development on wildlife. Measurement of radioactivity level of sand fraction of. Pdf environmental consequences of oil production from oil sands. The project consists of the construction, operation and reclamation of an oil sands surface mine with a production capacity of about 260,000 barrels per day of bitumen. Oil sands development is subject to strict environmental standards. Although some steps are being taken to reduce the severity of these impacts such.
A critical assessment madagascar is said to have the second largest oil sands deposits in africa. In general, this report uses the term oil sands to describe the deposits in the ground and oil sandsderived crude oil to describe the material imported into the united states. For the development and assessment of impacts of the oil sands projects, developers, researchers, governmental organizations, and other stakeholders cannot. Study finds little environmental impact from oil sands open this photo in gallery. Toward sustainable development introduction canada now produces over 1 million barrels of oil each day from the oil sands. This method has vastly less environmental impact than surface mining which is more energy intensive.
The project is located in northeastern alberta, approximately 110 kilometres north of fort mcmurray. Northern lights oil sands mine project environmental impact assessment eia and application for approval. Approved and operating oil sands development environmental impact assessments eias are completed for most oil sands oil and gas projects eia requirements specific to a project. Technology section 4 is a key element of current activity in the oil sands, making recovery of bitumen. The suncor tar sands mining operation north of fort mcmurray, alberta, november 3, 2011. Environmental impact statement 2010 draft eis6 for the keystone xl pipeline project which would connect oil sands production facilities in the western canadian sedimentary basin with refinery facilities in the united states, commissioned a contractor to analyze the lifecycle ghg. Oil sands emissions in a global and canadian context. Ford a a department of biology, the university of british columbia okanagan campus, 1177 research road, kelowna, bc v1v 1v7, canada. In general, this report uses the term oil sands to describe the deposits in the ground and oil sands derived crude oil to describe the material imported into the united states. Environmental consequences of oil production from oil sands.
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