Rapid development of Alberta oil sands can't be 'morally justified,' bishop writes

David Ebner, January 27, 2009, The Globe and Mail -- The oil sands, hated by environmentalists and buffeted by plunging oil prices, now face the opposition of a representative of a higher power.

Luc Bouchard, Roman Catholic bishop in the northeastern Alberta diocese of St. Paul, which includes the oil sands around Fort McMurray, said the rapid development and massive scale of the sprawling open-pit mines "cannot be morally justified."

"The tar sands are in my diocese, and we all have a responsibility," Bishop Bouchard said in an interview yesterday.

"If we are to manage creation, we have a responsibility in not destroying it but managing it well."

Bishop Bouchard published his view in a 5,000-word essay, heavy with 50 footnotes, on Sunday - a pastoral letter to the 50,000 or so Catholics in his region. In his eight years as bishop of the diocese, he has written on topics including gambling and Catholic schooling.

The detailed letter is unequivocal in its conclusion: Citing similar demands of environmentalists, the bishop calls for a halt to any new development, or leasing of land for potential development, until governments address 10 shortcomings. They include rules to slash national greenhouse-gas emissions, ambitious fuel-efficiency standards so oil is not wasted, and money for future reclamation of the land collected before a project is allowed to proceed.

"The concerns environmentalists express are highly credible," Bishop Bouchard wrote in his pastoral letter. "I am forced to conclude that the integrity of creation in the Athabasca oil sands is clearly being sacrificed for economic gain."

The oil industry said it wanted to tell the bishop about progress that companies have made in balancing energy supply, the environment and the economy.

"We strongly believe oil sands development is sustainable, regulated and the cornerstone of Canada's resource supply," Travis Davies, a spokesman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said in a statement.

In his letter, Bishop Bouchard expressed skepticism about rushing ahead with more development without necessary mitigation technology ready.

He acknowledged the oil business has managed to reduce air pollution and water usage, but on other major issues, such as greenhouse gases, he argued that available technology "does not at present hold out the hope of reducing environmental harm to an acceptable level, primarily because of the enormous scale and rapid development of the projects."

An underlying concern, Bishop Bouchard noted, is the general "wasteful consumer lifestyle" lived by Canadians, and political and industrial "short-sightedness."