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EnvironmentOilsands10TuesdayOctober82013DieseldumpingchargesdroppedagainstRowesConstructionByMEAGANWOHLBERGChargesweredroppedlastTuesdayagainstaHayRiverconstructionrmaccusedofillegallydumpingdieselintoagravelpitinWoodBuffaloNationalPark.ParksCanadawithdrewitschargesagainstRowesConstructionontheseconddayoftriallastweekinFortSmith.RoweswasaccusedinJune2012ofunlawfullydischargingdieselfuelintheparknearFortSmithbreakingsection321oftheCanadaNationalParksActwhichpointsspecicallytopollutioncleanup.Thechargesclaimedthecompanydidnottakereason-ablemeasurestopreventen-vironmentaldamageorharmtohumanhealth.PresidentJackRoweandforemanWayneThomp-sonwereco-accusedinthematter.RowesConstructionismostpleasedwiththewith-drawalofthechargethathadbeenlaidagainstitRowesaidinanemailedstatementtoTheJournal.Thecom-panyhadpreparedforoveroneyearforthistrialandwaslookingforwardtoes-tablishingitsinnocence.Itispleasedthatjusticewasnallydone.PhotoRowesConstructionIndustryConstructionChargesagainstRowesConstructionforallegedlydischargingdieselinWoodBuffaloNationalParkweredroppedlastweekduringdaytwoofcourtproceedingsinFortSmith.CourtcallsAlbertabiasedinexcludingenvironmentalgroupsfromoilsandsreviewJudgerulesprovincesprocessofdecidingparticipationtaintedByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnAlbertaQueensBenchjudgedidnotmincewordslastWednesdayinrulingthattheprovincialgovernmentimproperlyexcludedenvironmentalgroupsfromtheregulatoryreviewofanoilsandsproj-ectin2012.InaharshlywordedrulingJusticeRichardMarceaucalledtheAlbertagovernmentsdecisiontoblockthePembinaInsti-tuteandFortMcMurrayEnvironmentalAssociationFMEAfromparticipat-inginthereviewprocessforaproposedinsituoil-sandsprojecttaintedandthatbothgroupsweretar-getedbecausetheywith-drewfromtheCumulativeEnvironmentalManagementAssociationCEMAandpublishednegativemediaabouttheoilsands.ItisdifculttoenvisionamoredirectapprehensionofbiasthananhistoriccasewherebythepremierofQue-becrevokedaliquorlicensefromarestauranteurbecausehewasaJehovahsWitnessMarceauwrote.SimonDyerpolicydi-rectorforPembinasaidthevictorywassignicantonmanylevels.Obviouslywithourstate-mentofconcernreinstatedwelookforwardtobeingabletopresentourevidencearoundthisspecichear-ing...andwellberequest-ingthatthegovernmentofAlbertareconsiderotherstatementsofconcernmen-tionedinthereportthatthegovernmenthasrejectedinthepasttwoyearsbasedonthemalsobeingtaintedbythisbriengnoteDyertoldTheJournal.ThereviewinquestioninvolvedthesecondphaseofSouthernPacificRe-sourceCorp.sproposedinsituoilsandsprojectontheMacKayRivernearFortMcMurray.ConcernsraisedbyPem-binaincludedthecompa-nysprojecteduseofasmuchas1.7millionlitresoffreshgroundwaterdailyalongwithdisturbancestoregionalairqualityandnegativeimpactsonthethreatenedlocalcariboupopulation.Pembinawasalsore-jectedfrombeingabletomakestatementsofconcernforseveralotherprojectsincludingCanadianNatu-ralResourcesLtd.sKirbyoilsandsprojectSyncrudestailingspondexpansionandthemorerecentTeckResourcesFrontierprojecthearing.BriengnotefatallyawedThejudgesdecisionhingedonagovernmentbriefingnoteobtainedthroughthecourtchal-lengewhichsuggestedthatPembinaspublica-tionofnegativemediaontheoilsandsandthegov-ernmentsimpressionthattheenergypolicythinktankwaslessinclinedtoworkcooperativelywerereasonsforrejectingtheinstitutesstatementofconcern-rea-sonsMarceaudismissedasfatallyawed.Theprinciplesofnaturaljusticeclearlyrequirethede-cisionmakertonotconsiderirrelevantandimproperrea-sonshewrote.FurthermorebecausethebriengnotewasdistributedinsecretPembinadidnothavetheabilitytorespondtothoseallegationswhichMarceausaidwasaviolationoftherighttobeheard.ThoughpleasedatthevictoryDyercalledtheentireordeal-includingboththewordinginthedocumentandtheprov-incessubsequentactions-deeplytroubling.ItsembarrassingforthegovernmentofAl-bertahesaid.Youhavethemtravelingaroundtheworldsayingtheyreaseri-ousresponsibleregulatoroftheoilsands.Itscom-pletelyinappropriatethatthegovernmentofAlbertabasicallyraninterferencefortheoilsandsindustryintermsofpreventingpar-ticipationintheregulatoryprocess.DyersaidPembinaisquitechoosyintermsoftheprojectsinwhichitoptstointervenebasedonlim-itedresourcesbutevenifthepolicygroupdidparticipateinallhearingsthosearefewandfarbetween.In2012theregulatorheldonlysevenhearingsonen-ergy-relatedprojectsonlyoneofwhichincludedaninsituoilsandsprojectde-spiteover36000energyap-plicationsmadeinAlberta410ofwhichwereforinsituoilsands.Theresthissortofmy-thologyouttherethatstake-holdersareclogginguptheprocessanditstoooner-ousfortheproponentbutasyoucanseetheoppositeistrueThevastmajorityoftheseprojectsareroutinelyapproved.StillhesaidPembinalooksforwardtobeingallowedtomeaningfullyparticipateinfuturereviews.Clearlyourpriorityisstilladdressingimprovementinenvironmentalpolicythatapplytooilprojectssowedonthavetogotoindividualhearingstoensurethepublicinterestisprotectedbutwerelookingforwardtocontinuingtoworkinthiswayhesaid.AlbertadefendstrackrecordWhilecommunicationsstaffwithAlbertaEnvironmentandSustainableResourceDevel-opmentignoredrequestsforcommentastatementreleasedbyMinisterDianaMcQueenonThursdaydefendedtheprovincestrackrecordwhenitcomestoitsreviewprocessforresourcedevelopmentinre-sponsetocriticismfromboththefederalandprovincialNDP.WehaveestablishedtheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorandannouncednewregulationswhenitcomestoexpressingconcernsaboutanapplicationfordevelopmentwhichallowsallAlbertanswhobelievetheyaredirectlyandadverselyaf-fectedbyanapplicationtheabilitytoprovideanoticeofconcerntotheregulatorMc-Queensaid.Thenewprocessensuresathoughtfulandcommonsenseapproachtohearingallissuesfromallaffectedpar-tieswhichinturnsmeansthatAlbertanswillhavemoreinvolvementatthebeginningofaproject.TheprojectinquestionSouthernPacicResourceCorp.sMacKayinsituoilsandsprojectsitsadjacenttotheMacKayRiver.PhotocourtesyofSouthernPacicResourcesCorp.InthestatementRowesaidtheallegationsshouldhavebeensubjectedtofargreaterscrutiny.HeindicatedthatRowesConstructionwouldbecon-sideringitslegaloptionsinrelationtotheaccusations.