Prairie Acid Rain Coalition

Strong methane regulations the quickest, easiest and most cost-effective way to protect our environment, say 16 Alberta organizations

Joint letter urges the alberta government to seize the economic and environmental opportunity available by enacting strong methane regulations to capture wasted natural gas

Edmonton, Alberta—16 community and environmental organizations from across Alberta are calling on the province to implement mandatory methane regulations to reduce climate pollution from the oil and gas sector, help meet the Province's emission reduction targets, capture valuable natural gas this is currently wasted and catch up to other leading energy-producing jurisdictions.  

A joint letter was submitted on March 9, 2018 to the Alberta government to inform the development of the Province's new methane regulations for the oil and gas sector. Read More

Capital Region Fine Particulate Response

Alberta Environment & Sustainable Resource Development has finalized and released the Capital Region Fine Particulate Matter Reponse—a plan to reduce and maintain ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at all stations in the Capital Region below numerical Canada-wide Standard. In addition to the full report, an overview of the response is available for download at the Capital Region Cumulative Effects Management page on the AESRD website. Read More

Environmentalists win landmark Tar Sands lawsuit

Court finds gaping holes in environmental assessment

Edmonton March 05, 2008

The Federal Court of Canada today released a judgment finding fatal legal errors in the environmental assessment of the Kearl Tar Sands Project, north of Fort McMurray.

Ecojustice lawyer Sean Nixon was in court in January on behalf of the Pembina Institute, Sierra Club of Canada, the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta and the Prairie Acid Rain Coalition .

“This is a huge victory,” said Nixon. “The Court accepted our position that the environmental assessment was flawed, and that the Joint Panel failed to explain why it thought the Kearl Project’s environmental effects were insignificant. We will now consider whether to bring another lawsuit to challenge the project’s federal permit that was granted without legal authority.” Read More

What is your vision for Alberta?

by Martha Kostuch

Of course we want continued prosperity. Of course we want safe, affordable housing, good health care and accessible education. But the foundation of our well-being is really a healthy environment – clean air, clean water, healthy food, among other things. I can’t help but wonder how much attention our leaders are paying to the foundation these days.

The centerpiece of my vision for Alberta is a stable, resilient, healthy economy based on energies of the future, not energies of the past. This means ending our addiction to fossil fuels and using some of the revenues they generate to develop and implement alternative energy sources and to support energy conservation. We can do this, but not without strong leadership and a willingness to reflect on whether our current path is taking us where we want to go. Read More

Public access to oil sands documents

The Environmental Law Centre (ELC) is hosting a range of oil sands documents requested by Martha Kostuch under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Public access to the documents is available through the ELC's library, which is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 am-12:00 noon and 1:00-4:30 pm (noon hour access available by prior arrangement). Read More

Controversial Kearl Tar Sands project goes to court

While Alberta Premier goes to Washington, the Kearl Tar Sands Project is going to court

January 14, 2008

EDMONTON - While Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach is in Washington this week seeking to assure Americans that there are no environmental problems associated with dirty tar sands development, Canadian environmental organizations are going to court tomorrow to challenge a massive tar sands operation north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Imperial Oil's proposed Kearl Tar Sands project includes an open-pit mine that would strip 200 square kilometres of Boreal Forest and contribute to the devastation of the region's landscape and wildlife.

Ecojustice lawyer Sean Nixon will be in court on behalf of the Pembina Institute, Sierra Club of Canada, the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta and the Prairie Acid Rain Coalition, arguing that the environmental assessment of the open-pit mine project was flawed and that the project should be halted until a proper assessment has been completed. Read More

Oil Sands Action Alert

From: Martha Kostuch

The Government of Alberta has not yet responded to the Oil Sands Multistakeholder's Recommendation and Report. This provides an opportunity for people who support the recommendations to lobby the Government to adopt and implement the recommendations. (Note: There are only three of the non-consensus recommendations that I as the ENGO representative on the panel I did not support.)

I would encourage you to take any or all of the following actions: Read More

Environmental Activist urges Government to Adopt Oil Sands Recommendations

Prairie Acid Rain Coalition
Media Release

July 26, 2007

Yesterday, the Government of Alberta released the Report and Recommendations of the Multistakeholder Committee (MSC) and Panel.

The MSC reached consensus on 96 recommendations. Some examples of the consensus recommendations to achieve the vision of "Ensures a Healthy Environment" are:

  • Create and implement comprehensive regional resource and environmental planning and management systems for the Oil Sands Area and for regions impacted by existing and proposed upgraders.
  • Work with neighboring jurisdictions and the federal government to ensure cumulative assessment and management of transboundary issues.
  • Require comprehensive reclamation and mitigation plans from the onset of development that include milestones. Establish penalties to be enforced if operators fail to meet identified milestones.

"It is my expectation that the government will implement all of the consensus recommendations as quickly as possible," said Martha Kostuch, Chair of the Prairie Acid Rain Coalition and a member of the MSC. Read More

Environment Groups Sue to Block Federal Reliance on "Phantom" Mitigation for the Oil Sands

Media Release

Mar 30, 2007

Sierra Legal, on behalf of a coalition of environmental organizations, filed an application yesterday for a Federal Court judicial review of the Joint Panel report assessing the Imperial Oil Kearl Oil Sands project north of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

The Pembina Institute, Sierra Club of Canada, the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta, the Prairie Acid Rain Coalition and Sierra Legal will argue that the Joint Panel failed to properly do its job, and that a proper environmental review must take place before the federal government can decide whether to allow the Kearl Oil Sands project to proceed. Read More

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