Action Alert!

STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH RESIDENTS OF THE HEARTLAND & TELL PREMIER STELMACH NO TO PETRO-CANADA UPGRADER!

As Premier Stelmach travels to Wyoming this week to bring his “green tar sands” message to the U.S., Albertans in Stelmach’s own backyard are asking for your help in protecting their community and land and joining them in saying NO to a new upgrader intended to upgrade only tar sands oil!

We all hear about the environmental destruction and human health concerns from the Tar Sands mines near Fort McMurray every day. But the chain of tar sands destruction spreads far beyond the mines, and is happening right in Edmonton’s backyard in an area dubbed the Industrial Heartland. Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is located northeast of Edmonton, AB. Over 300 square kilometres in size, it takes in four municipalities: Strathcona Country, Sturgeon County, Lamont County, and the City of Fort Saskatchewan. To many of the residents , the region is quickly becoming known as Cancer Alley - and many fear the situation will only worsen with 9 new tar sands upgrader projects and 3 expansions proposed or approved for this region.
Local residents and members of The North East Sturgeon County Industrial Landowners (NESCIL) and the Citizens for Responsible Development (CFRD) are taking part in an Energy Resources Conservation Board public hearing for the proposed Petro Canada Oil Sands Incorporated (PCOSI) Sturgeon Upgrader Project. The Petro Canada Upgrader and associated infrastructure will:
* Have a capacity to process 54,000 cubic metres of bitumen per day.
* Occupy 36 quarters, or 5,760 acres or 9 square miles, of land approximately eleven kilometres north of Fort Saskatchewan - much of this prime agricultural farmland.
* Divert up to 18,225,000 cubic metres of water per year from the North Saskatchewan River.
* Decrease air quality in the region
Areas of concern for all citizens of Alberta are health impacts (increased rates of cancer and respiratory illnesses), toxic emissions, safety, loss of prime food producing land, use of huge amounts of water from the North Saskatchewan River, as well as other environmental concerns such as air quality, in-stream water quality and quantity, and loss of biodiversity.

Last Monday, June 23, residents opposing the proposed PetroCanada Upgrader crowded a Fort Saskatchewan ERCB (Energy Resources Conservation Board) hearing, with supporters spilling out the door. This Tuesday and Wednesday, local residents will take the stand at the hearing to voice their opposition - lets add our voices to theirs! It is time to turn up the heat on the Stelmach government and PetroCanada! These projects affect all Albertans and we need to let the Premier know that we are not willing to turn the Heartland into a Wasteland or another sacrifice zone. Alberta CANNOT paint itself as Green when Stelmach can’t even keep his own back yard clean.

Please take a moment to make a call or write a letter in solidarity. Then send this action alert on to other listserves and friends!

1. CALL or EMAIL PREMIER STELMACH - Let’s turn up the Heat!

Call Premier Stelmach’s office at (780) 427 2251. Tell him that you oppose the kind of unmitigated development that Alberta is seeing today and that if he wants to try to convince the rest of the world that Alberta is “clean,” he needs to start with his own back yard! Tell him that you do not support the Heartland being turned to another wasteland, that we need no new approvals on the tarsands, and that you stand in solidarity with the residents who are opposing the Petro Canada Upgrader.

Email the premier at: premier@gov.ab.ca

(Make sure to cc both the liberal an environment critics on it as well: david.swann@assembly.ab.ca and Rachel.Notley@assembly.ab.ca. Also, feel free to bcc us at the SIerra Club so we can keep track of how many emails the Premier is getting - bcc:jessicaw@sierraclub.ca)

2. CALL PETRO CANADA

Across Canada call Petro Canada about their Sturgeon Upgrader Project at 1.866.OIL.SAND – leave a message that you do not support their project!

Or make it personal – occupy the Petro Canada staff by asking questions about what Petro Canada plans to do about the increasing rates of Cancer in the Industrial Heartland. How are they going to compensate for the water that they drain from the Ft. Saskatchewan river? What about the chemicals that are released into the air?

Call Kim Kolenc – Regulatory and Stakeholder Affairs Analyst (780).923.6051

Call Lee Simants – Stakeholder Relations Analyst 780.923.6050

Call John Percic – Senior Advisor, Community Affairs 780.296.8145

Please take the time to call and email the Premier and Petro Canada - they need to hear from you!

Filed under: Climate Change, Environmental Justice, RTTTS on July 3rd, 2008

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