The Oil Sands Environmental Coalition — which includes the Pembina Institute, the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta and the Fort McMurray Environmental Association — say Shell has broken a negotiated agreement to significantly cut the output of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide from an expansion of its Muskeg River and Jackpine oil sands mines in northern Alberta.
The coalition is asking the Canadian government and Alberta’s Energy Resources Conservation Board, who jointly approved the project, to reconsider their ruling through a new public hearing because Shell’s promise was a factor in the decision.
“Shell has broken a binding agreement,” said Simon Dyer, oil sands program director at the Pembina Institute. Regulators “can reopen those approvals given that Shell has clearly reneged on its commitment.”
The groups claim Shell agreed to come up with specific targets for cuts to greenhouse gas emissions at the mine sites. Instead, they say the company told them it will not quantify its GHG cuts, deciding instead to wait for the federal government to come up with regulations on emissions.
Canada’s oil sands have the largest reserves outside the Middle East. However separating the tar-like bitumen from sand and soil and upgrading it into refinery-ready synthetic crude is more energy intensive and emits more carbon dioxide than conventional oil production.
In a release, Shell said it would work with stakeholders to strengthen carbon dioxide emissions policies and was looking to the government to establish its rules.
“The need to reduce emissions is too important to rely on voluntary commitments, and along with the rest of the industry we are now focused on meeting these new regulatory targets,” the company said.
Bob Curran, a spokesman for Alberta’s Energy Resources Conservation Board, said it is reviewing the coalition’s application. He did not say when a decision would be made.
Shell has a 60 percent stake in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project, which includes an oil sands mine near Fort McMurray and an upgrader near Edmonton. Its partners, each controlling 20 percent, are Chevron Corp and Marathon Oil Corp.
The 100,000 barrel per day expansion would boost output from the project to 255,000 barrels a day, and includes a new mining project and additional capacity at the Scotford upgrader. The project is expected to be complete late next year.
(Editing by Rob Wilson)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
