The Canadian province of Alberta is among the most naturally pristine areas is in North America. This area, which includes the Canadian Rocky Mountains and several wildlife reserves, is host to a variety of flora and fauna such that are culturally significant to the Aboriginal people in the area. Since time immemorial Alberta has been the traditional territory of the Black Foot Confederacy and the Athepaskan (Dene) people. These Indigenous Nations continue to act as stewards of the land healing and protecting its’ wellbeing for generations to come.
With various governments throughout the world ignoring our sovereignty and denying Indigenous self-determination we have seen a massive theft of resources by both government and industry that further alienate us from our cultural stewardship. Naomi Klein, the author of, ‘Shock Doctrine, The Rise of Disaster Capitalism’, presents the main idea of exploiting various resources for the wellbeing of the economy. She provides an example of the Bush Administration lifting the ban on off shore drilling and Arctic drilling to ease the oil crisis in the United States. North of the border, the Canadian Government is considering the elimination of environmental assessments for projects not exceeding 10 million dollars and reducing oversight on bigger projects in an effort to stimulate the economy (CanWest News 2009). Locally we can see an example of disaster capitalism in the New York State tobacco taxation issue involving the Haudenosaunee communities throughout the state. This article will look at the environmental effects that industry has had on the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and Dene and the air and water quality issues in the province of Alberta.
The process of extraction causes several environmental concerns including the vast amounts of water used in the process, water and air quality, toxic contamination, disruption of habitat biodiversity and the disturbance of the Indigenous culture in the area. The process requires 2-4.5 barrels of fresh water for every barrel of oil produced. In 2007, Alberta produced on average 1.32 million barrels a day, a 5% increase from the previous year. The Canadian Government and industry estimates that oil production will increase to 4 million barrels per day by the year 2015 to meet the energy demands to both Canada and the United States (Hargreaves 2006). In January 2009, for the first time in the oil industry’s’ history the Alberta Government has ordered 4 major oil companies to reduce the amount of water they use form the Athabasca River for their oil production process (Canadian Press 2009). The water levels in the Athabasca River are currently considered a threat to biodiversity in the entire watershed.
Gases emissions from the various stages of oil production, produces the most carbon dioxide than any other industry in Canada and contributes to acid rain, respiratory disease, and ozone depletion. Although necessary for the ecosystem, too much carbon dioxide can be harmful to the environment and is a major contributing factor to global warming. With the summer heat, waste ponds (image shown below), which are known to be 50 square kilometers, release thousands of tonnes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene. Long term exposure to VOCs can result in cancer, and is listed as a ‘non threshold’ pollutant which means exposure at any level can result in harm. Airborne acidifying emissions are known to travel as far as Quebec, possibly further. Forests in that province show a growth rate decline of 30% where acid rain was a problem between 1970 and 1990.
From an international perspective we will see that 70% of the United States foreign oil import comes from Alberta with a number of pipelines crossing the international boundaries to reach destinations including the Great Lakes region. There are currently 17 refinery expansions being considered, planned, applied for, approved or being developed around the Great Lakes Watershed (Israelson, 2008), which is a major freshwater source in North America. If all become operating refineries, the Great Lakes region and watershed can expect an additional 2.3 million tons of green house emissions (sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions) per year, an equivalent to 500,000 tailpipe emissions (Feldman 2008). It can be assumed that refineries are attracted to the Great Lakes region for the abundance of fresh water which is required for the oil refinery process. Principles of ecology remind us of the interconnectedness, and the chain of life within a watershed. If one of the Great Lakes is affected by pollution, there is a strong potential to affect the entire watershed.
Further toxins produced from the oil extraction process include mercury, arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to name a few. An independent study estimated that arsenic could be as much as 453 times the acceptable level in moose meat. Alberta Government responded with a report that concluded that arsenic levels are “only” 17-33 times the acceptable level (Hatch & Price 2008). What they were both correct about is the level of arsenic is well beyond acceptable levels for survival of any biodiversity.
As mentioned in the introduction the majority of the Province of Alberta falls in traditional Aboriginal Territory. The major oil fields are found in the Athabasca, Peace River and Cold Lake regions of the province where there is a high population of Indigenous North American people. The Dene and Cree in the Ft. McMurray, Ft. McKay and Ft. Chipewyan find themselves in the midst of the oil fields and experience the full effects of the toxic contamination in the watershed. The Mikisew Cree of Ft. Chipewyan and others in the area have an 80 percent subsistence rate on traditional foods and resources. They also have a considerable increase in disease and cancer since 1970s when the oil sands began to operate upstream from the community of between 750 and 1200. Community members report fish having growths and other deformities. George Poitras a Mikisew Cree says, “If we don't have land and we don't have anywhere to carry out our traditional lifestyle, we lose who we are as a people”
As Indigenous people our traditional lifestyle is centered upon agriculture and the well-being of Mother Earth. We believe that the land is sacred to us, with a spiritual connection that many others cannot comprehend. Locally we can hope that New York State Department of Conservation consultation policies will uphold our symbiotic relationship we hold with Mother Earth and not further deny us of our spiritual balance with nature.
Gerry Jamieson
Environmenatal Technician
Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force