A recent study has revealed that the amount of toxic pollutants being emitted from the Canadian tar sands, which is already considered one of the most environmentally damaging forms of fossil fuel, has been significantly underestimated.
A study published in the journal Science revealed that the air pollution emitted from the extensive Athabasca oil sands in Canada greatly surpassed the reported emissions from the facilities studied, reaching levels of 1,900% to 6,300%.
Experts stated that this implies that harmful reactive pollutants from the oil sands have the same impact as those from all other man-made sources throughout Canada, resulting in significant health risks.
Keith Stewart, a senior energy strategist at Greenpeace Canada, remarked that the scientists’ measurement of the alarming and mostly unacknowledged amounts of air pollution caused by oil sands operations supports the long-standing claims of Indigenous communities living downwind. He stated that this pollution is causing illness among people, and therefore governments have the authority and responsibility to mandate that these companies use a portion of their monumental profits to remediate the damage they have caused.
The tar sands in Canada, also known as oil sands, are a vast location for extracting oil in Alberta. They span a larger area than England and are one of the largest industrial endeavors globally. This year, they have reached record levels of production.
The type of oil in the tar sands is called “bitumen”. It is extremely heavy and difficult to extract. Getting it from deep in the ground to the surface can use up massive amounts of water – enough to rival what a small city may use on a daily basis. Even more water and energy is needed to refine it for commercial use and the amount of climate-polluting greenhouse gases emitted per barrel of tar sands oil can be 30% higher than conventional oil.
On Thursday, a study was published that highlights the extent of air pollution resulting from this process. By utilizing aircraft to measure pollutants, it discovered a significant amount of organic compounds being emitted that are not typically detected through conventional methods of air pollution measurement. This has severe implications for public health.
For many years, Indigenous communities in the area have expressed concerns about the negative effects on health caused by the polluted air from oil sands operations.
The report confirmed long-standing experiences of many communities, according to Jesse Cardinal of Keepers of the Water, a group led by indigenous people.
According to the report, the residents in these areas are experiencing severe air pollution that is causing harm to their health. Despite being told that these levels are acceptable, the reality proves otherwise as they are unable to open their windows without experiencing discomfort and difficulty breathing, particularly at night.
The scientists analyzed the release of pollutants from both surface mining activities and the extraction of bitumen from deeper reserves.
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They emphasized the significance of proper waste management procedures after extraction, including the processing of “tailings” which involves allowing hazardous sludge to dry.
According to John Liggio, who was involved in the research, the study included fresh data on total reactive organic chemicals collected on a research aircraft. These findings showed that emissions were underestimated by a significant amount, ranging from 1900% to over 6300%. This was observed not only at surface mining sites, but also at in situ extraction facilities, which account for more than half of production and are expected to see growth in the future.
The ministry in charge of the Canadian Environment and Climate Change has been reached out to for a statement.
Source: theguardian.com
