Northern forest vulnerable to oilsands emissions

Nykea Behiel, August 10, 2009, Saskatoon StarPhoenix --Some areas of northern Saskatchewan have the "most acid-sensitive soils in Canada," the Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) said Monday.

In a release, the group said this is a major problem, considering about two-thirds of pollutants from Alberta's oilsands make their way to Saskatchewan in the form of acid rain.

"Southern Saskatchewan soils have sufficient alkalinity to neutralize acid rain. In contrast, boreal forest soils in Saskatchewan do not," said Josef Schmutz, a conservation biologist and SES board member.

The SES is hoping the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments negotiate a cap setting limits on the amount of pollution allowed from oilsands facilities in Alberta. This cap should be applicable to Saskatchewan in the event of oilsands production in the province, SES says.

"If regulations to control acid pollution from Alberta's oilsands are not put in place soon, many of Saskatchewan's northern lakes will be seriously damaged in the decades to come," said Peter Prebble, director of energy and water policy for the SES.

Murray Hildebrand of the air quality sector of the Ministry of Environment says the ministry agrees with a Canadian Council Ministers for the Environment report that says many lakes and land in the boreal forest are sensitive to acid rain.

"Certain areas may be slightly acidic already but this may be due to the naturally acidic geology of the area," said Hildebrand, adding "natural rainwater is slightly acidic with a pH of 5.5 to 6."

Monitoring shows pH levels of precipitation in La Loche average 4.96. Environment Canada, which has also been monitoring northern areas of Saskatchewan, considers readings below 5.0 to constitute acid rain; pH is neutral at 7.0, and anything lower is acidic.

Hildebrand agrees that because land in the North has little alkalinity or resistance to acid deposits, emissions need to be reduced.

Although seemingly slight, the difference between pH levels is deceptive, says Prebble. The pH is measured in multiples of 10 -- five is 10 times more acidic than six, and one hundred times more acidic than seven.

Prebble says emissions move into the air, where they interact with other chemicals, and fall back to the soil in the form of acid rain. This process takes between two and 14 days, which means clouds of sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide can travel up to 1,000 kilometres, he says.

These chemicals can leech nutrients out of the soil, reduce photosynthesis and regeneration, increase vulnerability to drought and kill fish -- they work their way through the whole biological chain, said Prebble. Fish can be starved when their food source depletes or vanishes entirely, or they may be poisoned directly and acidity can kill their eggs, says Prebble.

With oilsands production scheduled to triple during the next 15 to 20 years, Prebble says action is needed immediately.

If a conclusion cannot be reached provincially, the SES wants the federal government to step in and create regulations to help protect Saskatchewan's lakes.

Although Prebble is pleased with the progress of the joint monitoring of northern land by Saskatchewan and Alberta, he stresses this is not enough. Prebble says action needs to be taken to prevent a depletion of resources.

Hildebrand says the government shares the SES's concerns "with the sensitivity of the boreal forest and has for several years been increasing resources to study the existing conditions."

The Environment Ministry has joined with Environment Canada to study lakes in the North and will study another 300 northern lakes in September, he said.