Environmental and health professionals call for investigation into Alberta oil and gas company’s failure to report air emissions

December 12, 2024

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• News Release
• Oil and Gas

Originally published by Ecojustice here: https://ecojustice.ca/news/environmental-and-health-professionals-call-for-investigation-into-alberta-oil-and-gas-companys-failure-to-report-air-emissions/ 

CALGARY/TERRITORIES OF THE BLACKFOOT AND PEOPLES OF TREATIES 6 AND 7, HOME TO MÉTIS NATION OF ALBERTA, REGION III — Environmental and health groups are calling on the federal government to investigate Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) in light of data showing many of its oil and gas facilities in Alberta are failing to report dangerous emissions, including benzene, volatile organic compounds and fine particulate matter, to the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI).

The NPRI is Canada’s source of information on the largest emitters of pollutants to air, land and water. Annual reporting is a legal requirement under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). A comparison of the production data in Alberta’s Petrinex system shows systemic underreporting throughout the industry.

Ecojustice, on behalf of Alberta Wilderness Association, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and Environmental Defence, filed an Application for Investigation saying that industry interests do not come before community health and the public’s legal right to know about pollutants in their neighborhoods.

The groups allege that more than 500 — or more than 17 per cent — of certain types of oil and gas facilities owned by CNRL failed to report to the NPRI in 2022.

Under CEPA, the government has the power to impose penalties as high as $250,000 for the first failure to meet reporting requirements offense and $500,000 for subsequent offenses. Fines under CEPA are credited to the Environmental Damages Fund, which are used for purposes related to protecting, conserving or restoring the environment.

So far, the government has not fined CNRL for its failure to report emissions.

The groups warn that there are likely thousands more facilities in the province failing to comply with the law given a recent study of the air quality around Alberta’s oilsands that found that emissions levels were 20-64 times higher than reported by industry.

Representatives from the groups made the following statements:

Susanne Calabrese, Ecojustice lawyer said: 

“In the last three years alone, CNRL has raked in almost $9 billion in average annual profits each year. No company, including multi-billion-dollar ones, should be given a free pass when they break the law.

“Minister Guilbeault has the power to send a strong message to industry: Failure to report emissions to the NPRI has financial consequences. It’s time for the federal government to use its legal tools to ensure companies uphold their reporting obligations and protect community safety and environmental health.”

Phillip Meintzer, Alberta Wilderness Association Conservation Specialist, said:

“If more than 500 facilities from just a single company are failing to report pollution data, then the problem is likely much larger than we know. CNRL’s lack of reporting and the absence of penalties for doing so highlights a dereliction of duty by the Canadian government with the enforcement of CEPA and ensuring that companies meet their environmental obligations.”

Dr. Joe Vipond, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment Past President and emergency physician said:

“The failure of CNRL to report dangerous emissions is not just a regulatory oversight – it’s a direct threat to people’s health. The toxins released from CNRL facilities are linked to higher rates of cancers, reproductive harms, and more. The federal government must launch an immediate investigation into CNRL’s grievous legal noncompliance in order to protect our communities and uphold environmental justice. It must then take steps to address such systemic underreporting so as to prevent harmful exposures.”

Emilia Belliveau, Environmental Defence Energy Transition Program Manager said:

“CNRL is a bad neighbour. By failing to accurately report its harmful pollution, it has put the health of communities at risk. Since oil companies clearly cannot be trusted to accurately report their pollution, the government must investigate that failure and deliver penalties where necessary.”

Background 

• The NPRI was created to give Canadians access to accurate information about industry pollution in their communities.
• People can look up data on facilities in their community (by postal code and by pollutant).  
• The NPRI is a starting point for monitoring local air quality and its potential health-impacts, and for encouraging actions to reduce pollution.
• The unreported emissions that the groups are concerned about include benzene, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), among others.
• Benzene is a known carcinogen that can impact the reproductive system.
• VOCs have been linked to premature births, lung disease and cancer.
• Breathing in unhealthy levels of PM2.5 can increase the risk of health problems like heart disease, asthma, and low birth weight.

About  

Ecojustice uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, public interest lawsuits and advocacy lead to precedent-setting court decisions, law and policy that deliver lasting solutions to Canada’s most urgent environmental problems. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax.

Alberta Wilderness Association is the oldest Alberta-based environmental conservation group with more than 7,500 members and supporters in Alberta and around the world. AWA seeks the completion of a protected areas network and good stewardship of Alberta’s public lands, waters, and biodiversity to ensure future generations enjoy the abundant benefits they provide.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is a physician-directed non-profit organization working to secure human health by protecting the planet. Since its founding in 1994, CAPE’s work has achieved substantial policy victories in collaboration with many partners in the environmental and health movements. From coast to coast to coast, the organization operates throughout the country with regional committees active in most provinces and all territories.

Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

Media Contacts

Venetia Jones, communications manager | Ecojustice
613 447 4546, vjones@ecojustice.ca

Reykia Fick, Communications Director | Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)
647-762-9168, media@cape.ca