Eight First Nations in Alberta are asking that the massive carbon capture and storage project proposed by a consortium of oilsands companies be reviewed under the federal Impact Assessment Act.
The First Nations say the project proposed by the Pathways Alliance is “massive” and “unprecedented” and poses potential risks to both the environment and human health.
The Pathways Alliance group of oilsands companies is proposing to build a $16.5-billion carbon capture and storage network to trap emissions from more than 20 oilsands facilities and transport them 400 kilometres away by pipeline to an underground storage hub in the Cold Lake area.
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Pathways has already begun submitting applications for approval to the Alberta Energy Regulator, which has regulatory jurisdiction since the project’s boundaries lie entirely within the province of Alberta.
But the First Nations say the project’s potential impact on reserve land and Indigenous territory means it should be subject to federal review instead.
The federal Impact Assessment Act is used to determine whether certain major resource projects should go ahead, based on their expected environmental, social and economic effects.
The Alberta government is currently battling the federal government in court over the Impact Assessment Act’s constitutionality.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
