Urgent Action is Needed Today!
It’s been over three months since Imperial Oil made public the news that their Kearl site’s toxic tailings “ponds” have been leaking since last spring, yet no federal or provincial charges have been laid on Imperial Oil.
Last week, Indigenous Climate Action, Keepers of the Water, and Environmental Defence, alongside dozens of other Indigenous and environmental organizations, sent a letter to the Prime Minister and the Premier of Alberta to express our deep concerns and demand urgent action on the planned mismanagement of toxic wastewater in the tar sands.
“We’re the first scientists of this land, and so we understand how everything is connected, ... The water can exist without us, but we cannot exist without water. ”
The letter includes several key demands, including:
Shutting down production at Imperial Oil’s Kearl facility until the company provides proof to the affected Nations that their industrial wastewater is not reaching - or at risk - of reaching the environment.
Bringing federal and provincial charges against Imperial Oil and other tar sands operators whose tailings ponds are leaking under the federal Fisheries Act and relevant sections of Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.
An immediate moratorium on any expansion of tar sands mining, such as new mines and expansions to existing operations.
Providing funding for an Indigenous-led study investigating the occurrence of rare cancers in communities downstream of the tar sands.
“This is a wake-up call for us because we are dealing with a future where we don’t know what’s going to be the state of our water. All we know is that are already contaminants in the water, there is going to be additional contaminants and are going to be impacts from climate change. ”
Join us in raising the alarm by signing and sharing this letter. Demand action through the link below.