| LAND-USE FRAMEWORK
The Alberta government will be holding a series of town hall meetings to consult the public on land use, covering topics such as the environment, oil and gas, and development. The meetings will gather information to develop the Land-Use Framework, a report for the provincial government with recommendations for managing land use for the next 50 years. Currently, it hasn’t been decided how the report will be used or whether it will ultimately translate into any new legislation. "(The framework) will provide an overarching vision on how to manage land," says Eilish Lemieux, a public affairs officer with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
Environmental groups have frequently raised concerns that there are too few restrictions on development in the province, including in ecologically sensitive areas. Most recently, environmentalists have been concerned that developers will rush through new projects before the framework is completed.
The public sessions on the Land-Use Framework in Calgary are scheduled for May 30 and 31 from 2 to 9 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel Calgary Airport, 2120 16 Avenue N.E. Submissions for the framework can also be made online at www.landuse.gov.ab.ca.
Shortchanged on oil revenues?
A review of Alberta’s system for collecting revenue from the oil industry is set to come to Calgary next week amid warnings that the province isn’t getting its fair share. The Alberta Royalty Review Panel is holding meetings across the province to gather input from the public on the system of royalties and taxes that the province uses to collect money from the oil patch. The Calgary meeting of the review is scheduled for May 22 to 24 at the Radisson Hotel Calgary Airport.
"(Oil is) being completely undersold by our government," says Diana Gibson, research director of the Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta and author of a report that’s been submitted to the review. "Right now is the time to capture revenues." Currently, Alberta collects less revenue from the oil industry than Texas and Alaska and isn’t keeping pace with other developed countries, says Gibson.
Gibson recommends that the government collect more revenue from the oil and gas sector and start saving money for the future. She believes that the province is due for a bust as oil prices ultimately fall and the oil industry shifts from conventional oil to oilsands projects, which generate less revenue for the province.
"The royalty regime for oilsands as it now stands is out of date," says Amy Taylor, an economist with the Pembina Institute. "We can get a better deal for Albertans, and it can be done without hurting the profits (of oil companies)."
Pembina is also planning to make a submission to the review. It is concerned that the government isn’t doing much to solicit the opinions of ordinary people. "The onus is on them to ensure that they are engaging Albertans," she says.
Bill Hunter, chair of the royalty review panel and former president of Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc., says some presenters have raised concerns about the environmental and social ramifications of development while industry representatives have mostly expressed satisfaction with the status quo. Once the hearings are finished in June, the panel will draw up recommendations for the provincial government.
Submissions to the panel can be made online at www.albertaroyaltyreview.ca or in person at the hearings. The hearing’s schedule is listed on the website.
Report predicts oilsands projects won’t have enough water
A new report by water experts at the University of Alberta and the University of Toronto predicts that there won’t be enough water in the Athabasca River to meet the needs of current and future oilsands projects. The report, written by David Schindler, William Donahue and John Thompson, analyzes how water flow in the Athabasca River will be impacted by climate change and increased water withdrawals for oilsands projects. They point out flows in the Athabasca River have been "well below" average for most years since 1980 and summer flows in the Athabasca River have declined by 29 per cent between 1970 and 2005. Oilsands companies are by far the largest water licence holders for the river.
"Projected bitumen extraction in the oilsands will require too much water to sustain the river and Athabasca delta, especially with the effects of predicted climate warming," says the report. Water levels in Lake Athabasca and the Slave River, which the Athabasca River flows into, are expected to continue to decrease.
Report authors also say the province’s water management plan is inadequate to protect the ecological integrity of the river and the Peace-Athabasca delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The water experts say there are gaps in scientific knowledge needed to enable the government to devise an effective water management plan. |
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