“They’re not being forthright with us [about] the spills. They’re not being honest,” says Cecil Janvier as concerns about oil spills continue in an indigenous community in the western Canadian province of Alberta.
Janvier is a band councillor, and former chief, of the Cold Lake First Nation. The indigenous community has been dealing with oil spills this summer on lands adjacent to their traditional lands. And now, two more spills have occurred, but they were not informed of them says Janvier.
The oil extraction is being done by CNRL ( Canadian Natural Resources Limited) partly on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.
RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda spoke to Cecil Janvier, band councillor of the Cold Lake First Nation, about the spills and about the need for more stringent regulations.
More information:
Cold Lake First Nation statement – Cold Lake First Nation is Still Pursuing Answers on Oil Spill – here
Edmonton Journal – Cold Lake First Nations raising alarm over more leaks on CNRL oilsands lease – here
Canadian Natural operations North America – here
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Update September 24, 2013 – The government of the province of Alberta has ordered Canadian Natural to drain water “from a bitumen-affected waterbody before it freezes, so permanent containment measures can be put in place during the winter.” Details here
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