Environmental and Health Impacts of Canada’s Oil Sands Industry
Background
Oil sands refer to the thick mixture of bitumen, sand, and water. This product is considered a mineral, which is mined and refined to extract oil and other fuel products. Canada’s Alberta region, that is, Wood Buffalo, is renowned to be rich with this product. Oil sands have sparked controversy over the years due to the contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the health and environmental impacts in Canada. According to the Government of Alberta (2016), the Canadian oil sands are the third largest oil reserves in the world. Moreover, the fact that they contribute to 2% of Canada’s GDP indicates the importance of the commodity to the Canadian economic development (Government of Alberta, 2016).
In spite of the significant contribution to Canada’s economic development in terms of taxes and creation of jobs, the area covered by the oil sands is estimated to occupy 5% of Canada. This large area reduces the area covered by forests and human settlements. Moreover, the oil sands industry is said to be the largest contributor to the greenhouse emissions in Canada hence the adverse impacts on the population around the regions and the atmosphere. The diverse effects of the oil sands industry in Canada leads to the question of whether the industry has more positive or negative impacts on the population. In order to determine the environmental and health impacts of the Canadian oil sands industry, this paper explores five aspects including; impacts of the industry on downstream residents; impacts on the population of Alberta, that is, Wood Buffalo region; impact on general supply of water; impacts on the atmosphere through greenhouse emissions; and environmental regulatory performance.
Impacts of Oil Sands Contamination on Downstream Residents
The oil sands have numerous impacts on the residents of downstream Fort Chipewyan, which are considered hazardous to the human health and the environment (Kelly et. al, 2009). A report compiled by a team of members from the Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel (RSC) in 2010 indicated that the impacts of the oil sands to the downstream residents is minimal and rather ignorable (Gosselin et. al, 2010). The primary concern of the health impacts of the oil sands to the downstream residents is the fact that the residents are exposed to cancer. In spite of no solid evidence regarding the relationship between the oil sands and cancer, environmental and humanitarian groups are skeptical that the chemical components of the oil sands expose humans to long term effects which includes cancer (Kelly et. al, 2009).
The indigenous communities of the Athabasca region, that is, First Nation and the Mikisew Cree are exposed to cancerous materials such as carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury (One River, 2014). These materials are formed from the process of extraction of bitumen from the oil sand factories and washed downstream by the Athabasca River. Another report published by researchers from the University of Mannitoba in collaboration with the community members indicated that the quality of life within the Fort Chipewyan region was diminishing. Moreover, the residents had experienced a sharp rise in the number of illnesses cases in the region between the years 2010 and 2014 (One River, 2014). The report associated the sharp increase in illnesses and drop in quality of life to the mining activities undergoing in the oil sands industries (One River, 2014). The sharp increase in illnesses was found to be directly proportional to the increasing extraction activities and the expansion of mineable areas along the river.
Timoney & Lee (2009) postulate that the downstream residents of the Athabasca oil sands are highly affected from erosion which is caused by the mining activities in the area. Kelly et al (2009) argue that the residents downstream of the Athabasca River experience higher levels of the erosion due to McMurray geological formation (McMF). This form of soil erosion is considered to be naturally occurring and experienced by both the downstream and upstream residents. However, the impacts for the downstream Fort Chipewyan region is elevated by the widely practiced open-pit mining technique used because of the proximity of the oil sands to the ground (Government of Albeta, 2016). The increased soil erosion negatively affects the farming activities in the region such that downstream residents are only limited to the small scale activities.
Research on water pollution proves that industrial waste is the leading cause of water pollution globally and in Canada (Kelly et. al, 2010). The oil sands have a negative impacts on the quality of water used by the downstream residents in Fort Chipewyan. There have been growing concerns regarding the quality of water in the McKenzie River Basin which is the link between the oil sands regions and the downstream Alberta and North West regions (Allen, 2008). Proponents to the oil sands development programs argue that the companies undertake process water treatment activities to ensure that only clean water is released to the river basin (Allen, 2008). It is acknowledged that 75% of the water used by the oil sands industries is treated by targeting specific pollutants such as lead and mercury, which are considered harmful to the environment (Allen, 2008).
An analysis of the water in the Athabasca River, Athabasca Delta, Lake Athabasca, and the snowpack in the region proved the existence of the pollutants from the industry. The analysis found that concentration of the polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) in the upstream was 0.023 micrograms per liter, while the concentration was 0.202 micrograms per liter in downstream (Kelly et. al, 2009). Further, the analysis of snowpack indicated that there was 4.8 micrograms per liter during the winter in downstream regions (Kelly et. al, 2009). This proves that the oil sands development has a significant impact on the quality of water used by residents downstream.
Source: Kelly et al, 2009
The Alberta oil sands are positively associated with the increase in illnesses in the downstream Fort Chipewyan, which is linked to the consumption of traditional foods by the indigenous communities (Timoney & Lee, 2009). The report published in One River (2014) suggests that the development activities in the oil sands affect wildlife negatively. The report concludes that harmful compounds from the oil sands have led to the reduction in the number of fish species in the rivers and lake. Moreover, the remaining fish species are not considered edible because of the high concentration of the harmful chemical and metallic comounds (One River, 2014). Linnitt (2014) postulates that high rates of PAHs and metallic contaminants were found in the liver and kidneys of water-based animals and birds such as ducks and geese. Further, rare forms of bile were found in numerous animals up to 300 kilometers from the oil sands region, a factor which was positively correlated with the industrial effluence (Linnit, 2014).
Summary of the Section
As evident from the analysis, the downstream residents especially those at the Fort Chipewyan region are grossly affected by the activities of the oil sands industry. In spite of the efforts to process the water used in the extraction of the oil sands, PACs, PAHs, and heavy metals are still present in the water. These contaminants expose the downstream residents to long term effects including cancer. Short term effects of the oil sands development activities include an increase of the illnesses incidents in the area and contamination of traditional food sources such as fish and wildlife. The downstream residents are also subjected to higher levels of McMF erosion as compared to the upstream residents. The open-pit mining method employed by the companies is said to escalate the McMF erosion rate downstream.
Impacts of Oil Sands on the Health of Population of Wood Buffalo
The residents of Wood Buffalo are considered to be the immediate population to the oil sands of Alberta. This population is exposed to multiple contaminants including water based and air based contaminants. Moreover, this population is also directly affected by the secondary effects of the mining activities such as noise and erosion. According to Gosselin et al (2010), the current levels of exposure to environmental contaminants are not likely to cause severe health impacts on the population of Wood Buffalo. Additionally, the undergoing development of the oil sands are expected to increase emissions from the mining activities but not risk of health problems for the residents (Timoney & Lee, 2009; Gosselin et. al, 2010). This assumption by the researchers is based on the fact that exposure to environmental contaminants may have negative impacts on the health of the population, but increased or reduced exposure have no marginal effects.
Kelly et al (2009) argue that the immediate population to the oil sands are exposed to cancer causing contaminants hence long term risk of developing cancer. The surrounding populations are exposed to PAHs and arsenic, which are cancer causing compounds (Kelly et. al, 2010). These compounds are absorbed into the body systems of the population through consumption of food products such as wildlife, which depend on water released from the processing factories. This argument on the health implications of the oil sands is supported by evidence of the compounds found in animal bodies.
However, contradicting research indicate that the claims do not have any scientific basis. Gosselin et al (2010) postulate that despite of the PAHs and arsenic compounds being evident in the wildlife and fish products, the understanding of human cancer risk opposes the possibility of developing cancer from exposure to these contaminants. Conversely, Gosselin et al (2010) acknowledge the media reports and the public campaigns against oil sands and the possibility of cancer have adverse effects on the population in terms of stress and depression. Residents of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo have many fears regarding their health hence end up with depression (Gosselin et. al, 2010). These findings were made by the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP), an independent organization which was sanctioned by Environment Canada to monitor the quality of water in the oil sands region. However, these findings are contradictory to the actual trends in health for the people in Wood Buffalo, which is negative. Environment Canada suggests that RAMP has low quality scientific leadership and information transparency hence the findings are not highly reliable (Winhold, 2011).
Winhold (2011) states that the health impacts of the oil sands on the immediate population of Wood Buffalo is similar to those experienced by other boom-town style developments. A study conducted in the Alberta region found that economic empowerment of the people led to secondary health effects due to change in lifestyle such as increased alcoholism (Winhold, 2011). Moreover, the increased pressure on the individuals and families reduced the quality of life in the area as compared to neighboring regions like Peace Country, and Calgary and Edmonton regions (Gosselin et. al, 2010).
Winhold (2011) argues that there are no significant occupational related health occurrences related to the work in the oil sands. Community assessments in the Wood Buffalo region found that the key contribution to the decline in the quality of health is the poor health and public amenities (Winhold, 2011). A majority of the infrastructure in the region is made to support the mining activities and residential places. There is much focus on the oil sands development such that most of the resources are aimed at increasing the production of the industry (Gosselin et. al, 2010). This focus reduces the creation of public health and municipal facilities for use by the locals.
Summary of the Section
Findings by the Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel and other independent research organizations have contrasting findings on the health impacts of the oil sands industry on the people of Wood Buffalo. Independent research institutes argue that the Wood Buffalo residents are exposed to long term effects such as the risk of developing cancer. The RSC concludes that there is no significant risk on the exposure to contaminants from the oil sands industry, especially human cancer related risks, citing no scientific relations between human cancer and the contaminants. Further, the expert panel suggested that the key health impacts were due to stress caused by fear, and poor public health and municipal facilities rather than the direct contact with contaminants. Independent researchers and the RAMP also echo these findings, citing too much focus on the development of the oil sands rather than the health of the residents. Conclusively, it is evident that the health impacts on the population of Wood Buffalo are not directly related to the contaminants of the oil sands but rather arise from a combination of multiple triggers like individual lifestyle and failure of the government to establish proper health amenities.
Impact on the Regional Water Supply
Water is the most shared resource by Canadians despite the largeness of the country. Canada boasts of multiple fresh water bodies which provide for the daily activities of individuals, households, and corporations. However, in the Alberta region, this widely shared commodity is affected by the activities of the oil sands operators in terms of quantity available and the quality of water especially for residents living downstream. According to Environmental defense (2013), mining methods like the steam ejection method utilizes a large amount of water from the Athabasca River. Oil sands operators undertake activities to process the water and purify it for human use, but 95% of the water drawn from the river cannot be recycled back to use by humans. This effect leads to high levels of pollution and a reduction in water quantity from the fresh water bodies if the non-recyclable water is not placed back to the river and lakes.
The most common mining technique used in the Alberta oil sands is the strip mining. This mining strategy has a significant impact on the quantity of water in the Alberta region because it clears off the water bodies and the main sources of water, catchment areas, in Alberta (Kurek et. al, 2013). Strip mining in Alberta involves the clearing of the forests and drainage of water bodies and the wetlands (Kurek et. al, 2013). These wetlands are critical to the ecosystem because they are feeders of the Athabasca River and Athabasca Lake. Land reclamation by the mine operators involves filling sand to the mined regions. However, this strategy does not work for the drained wetlands hence the activities end up reducing the quantity of water available for the local communities.
Frank et al (2008) argue that preparation for areas for the mining requires site clearance and sometimes involves re-direction of streams. The redirection of streams to pave way for the mining sites affects the stream hydrology in the region. A change in stream hydrology affects the carrying capacity of the streams and the Athabasca River (Frank et. al, 2008). Streams in the region are characterized with low water levels after redirection hence failure to achieve the minimum in-stream flow needs (IFN) (Frank et. al, 2008). Kurek et al (2013) state that about 2% of the average annual water flow to the Athabasca River is used for oil sands mining (RAMP, 2016).
In spite of the development of the Athabasca River Water Management Framework in 2007 to set the maximum amounts of water drawn from the river, the water usage is still considered too much to sustain hydrological balance (RAMP, 2016). The amount water used to produce one barrel of oil ranges from 2 to 4.5 barrels of water (Environment Defense, 2013). This usage exceeds the annual water withdrawal limits set on the oil sand operators. Moreover, the annual usage by the oil sands operators is comparable to the amount used by a city of over 3 million residents, hence proving that a large amount of water goes to waste (RAMP, 2016). This imbalance is caused by the constantly increasing mining activities while the water flow in the river is not constant. Withdrawal of water from the river is mainly overwhelming to the capacity during the natural low-flow conditions where there is little rainfall in the catchment areas or much of the water is frozen hence not available for public use (RAMP, 2016).
Environment Defense (2013) claim that the fresh water used by the oil sands operators is converted into tailings after use in mining. Tailings refer to the combination of residual bitumen, sand, silk, and water among other compounds (RAMP, 2016). Tiling ponds are considered to be storage for the toxic water which cannot be released to the Athabasca River thus awaiting processing and removal of the contaminants. The effects of the tailings on the regional water supply is that is affects the quality of water and the quantity as well (RAMP, 2016). Frank et al (2008) state that the water in the tailings seep into the surrounding ecosystems hence contaminating the underground sources of water for the population.
The water in the tailings takes a long period of time to be processed because of the slow settling of other contaminants and smaller particles other than sand (Frank et. al, 2008). This long period favors the seepage of the contaminants to the nearing water bodies such as Athabasca River, hence raising the salinity of the water making it inappropriate for domestic use. Kurek et al (2013) state that there is a positive correlation between the tailings formed by oil sands operators and the quantity of water in the region. The tailings of the Alberta oil sands cover approximately 132 KM2 of land (RAMP, 2016). This translates to a large percentage of water which is not fit for human or animal use thus reducing the supply.
Summary of the Section
Oil sands mining activities have a direct impact on the quality and quantity of water in the Alberta region. The release of used water and formation of tailings increase the salinity of water in the Athabasca River and surrounding water bodies. The long term effects of the tailings also affect the underground water systems because of seepage of contaminants. The vast area covered by the tailings lead to the formation of large water bodies which cannot be used for human or animal consumption. Further, the site clearing activities and redirection of streams affect the stream hydrology hence significantly reducing the volume of water in the rivers.
Impacts on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
References
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