Seven Alberta First Nations band together for answers as industry and government implement billion-dollar plans to inject and store millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases under or near their traditional lands.
“We don’t know how pumping carbon underground will affect our lakes, our rivers, or even our underground reservoirs,” worried Councilor Michael Lameman of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation, one of the members of the working group. of Treaty No. 6.
“(The industry) has been vague, not very open. »
The working group includes Heart Lake First Nation, Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Whitefish Lake First Nation, Kehewin Cree Nation, Frog Lake First Nation, Cold Lake First Nations and Cree Nation. ‘Onion Lake. The Saddle Lake Cree Nation acts as an observer for the group.
“There’s a lot to look at when it comes to environmental and community safety,” said Darryl Steinhauer, consultation coordinator for Whitefish Lake.
“The (carbon capture) project involves eight nations where people not only exercise their treaty rights, but live on a daily basis. Safety is a big concern. »
The industry, for its part, says it is doing its best.
“We are in the early stages of consulting with communities,” Kendall Dilling, director of the Pathways Alliance, which represents 95 per cent of Alberta’s oilsands production, wrote in a statement. “We are committed to working with Treaty 6 First Nations and ongoing discussions will be conducted confidentially. »
A Pathways spokeswoman said the first applications related to the project were expected by the end of next month.
“Initially focusing on the right of way proposal for the CO transmission network2Pathways now intends to target the filing of applications under the Public Lands Act during (the first quarter),” explained Jerrica Goodwin in an email.
Indigenous communities, who watch promotional television ads and hear support from politicians, say they feel the momentum building.
“We hear a lot of concerns,” said Darryl Steinhauer. (Counselors) get called at night about it and say, “Hey, what’s going on?” »
The groups would like to know.
“The Pathways Alliance has not provided our First Nations with any reports or data assessing the potential risks associated with carbon storage near and beneath our reserve lands,” states an Oct. 13 letter from the First Nations to Pathways.
Pathways Alliance is proposing a gargantuan project to capture carbon dioxide from 13 tar sands facilities, pipe it hundreds of miles south and pump it from at least 16 injection wells more than a mile underground. There, porous limestone under a layer of solid rock salt must hold it.
The first phase is budgeted at $16.5 billion and will store up to 12 million tons of carbon per year by 2030. Depending on the person in charge of the measurements, this represents between 12 and 17% of emissions. annual oil sands.
Thousands of square kilometers involved
Advocates say projects such as the Boundary Dam power plant in Saskatchewan and Shell’s Quest project outside Edmonton prove that carbon capture and storage can work. Quest injects about a million tons of carbon dioxide underground each year.
Others say leaks — particularly through poorly sealed oil and gas wells or into groundwater — remain a concern.
Alberta’s underground carbon reservoir is vast. A Pathways map suggests the proposed storage center covers thousands of square kilometers of northeastern Alberta.
This map does not show any reserve lands or First Nations communities, although there are 11 such areas within or adjacent to it.
“The proposed sequestration center map…is predicated on the idea that our First Nations and reserve lands do not exist or that we simply do not matter,” the First Nations letter states.
There are also concerns about the project approval process.
Renato Gandia, a spokesperson for the Alberta Energy Regulator, said the agency would only look at facilities that capture carbon, pipelines that transport it and wells that inject it. It will not take into account what is injected or how it behaves after injection.
“A carbon sequestration mandate or agreement from the Alberta government is required if a company wishes to apply for a CCS project,” he wrote in an email.
Permits for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project are granted directly by the Minister of Energy. Although the applications require monitoring and cleanup plans, the regulations do not mention public participation.
“A series of isolated and low-level regulatory applications”
“It appears that the regulatory regime will consist of a series of isolated, low-level regulatory applications,” said Clayton Leonard, lawyer for several First Nations members of the working group.
The pores located beneath the reserve lands belong to the First Nations. Me Leonard said it was unlikely carbon dioxide injected into Crown land could be stopped from seeping into reserves.
“I don’t think we can talk about a pore space having this clear limit. »
Leonard said information gleaned from public meetings held in off-reserve communities suggests injection wells will be located near reservations.
“It really increases our level of concern.” »
Meanwhile, Mr. Steinhauer said he continues to answer group members’ questions daily.
“Shopping isn’t as quick as it used to be. »