Municipality Opposes Fly-in/Fly-Out Oilsands Development
(Fort McMurray, AB—Nov. 21, 2006) – Opposition to fly-in/fly-out development and clear direction to the Province of Alberta to increase support for infrastructure and services are among 14 key recommendations made by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to a Joint Panel conducting hearings on Imperial Oil’s Kearl project.
“If operators choose to simply fly in and out of the region, and such projects are approved, the result is that our local communities will be further left behind,” Mayor Melissa Blake told federal and provincial members of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB) today. “We’ll continue to look for immediate solutions to our critical socio-economic stresses created by oilsands industry expansion in the region, rather than new project models for future development.”
In its submission to the Joint Panel, the municipality states it cannot support any further oilsands development approvals until there is a comprehensive plan for responsible growth in the region. Imperial Oil proposes to develop its Kearl project over 50 years, using a fly-in/fly-out workforce, ostensibly to minimize growth impact on Fort McMurray. The municipality sees this as short-term mitigation which deprives its communities of long-term, quality-of- life benefits.
Nevertheless, the municipality and Imperial Oil have reached agreement on seven of eight conditions requested of the AEUB should it grant project approval. The agreement, contained in a Memorandum of Understanding, was signed in advance of the Kearl hearings starting up in Fort McMurray. The remaining outstanding condition is the municipality’s request for a contribution to infrastructure and services, tied to growth impacts from the Kearl project.
In its submission to AEUB, the municipality asks the Joint Panel for nine recommendations aimed at senior governments. They include finding that existing provincial funding models are inadequate for the region’s sustained explosive growth environment, the clear need for increased funding support from the province and a tripartite regional development agreement. These recommendations are consistent with disposition requests to the Board by the municipality in previous project interventions.
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CONTACT:
Don Reimer
Communications Manager
(780) 743-7843/881-4131
