Saskatchewan Key Environmental Conflicts
The most notable publicly contentious issue regarding oil and gas development in Saskatchewan relates to development in the Great Sand Hills. This region is of great ecological significance (it is habitat to endangered and fragile species), economic value (given its use for livestock grazing), and historical and contemporary importance for First Nations communities (Noble 2008). As gas development expanded and intensified in the area particularly since the 1980s, ranchers, First Nations communities, and environmentalists expressed concern about the impacts of industry and the lack of environmental assessments of these projects. In response, the government commissioned the Great Sand Hills Regional Environmental Study in 2004 to provide a strategic assessment of the Great Sand Hills native grassland ecosystem and assess the cumulative impact of a range of human activities in the region since the 1950s until 2021. The study captured the extensive impacts of gas development in this region and made a series of recommendations to reduce the industry’s impact. It was described as an “ambitious” and “proactive” effort to understand human impacts on this region (Noble 2009). However, the study was released in 2007 just prior to a provincial election that brought a new party in majority power, the Saskatchewan Party, and these recommendations were never implemented. Concern about the impact of oil and gas development on the Great Sand Hills continues today, most recently in the debate surrounding the TransCanada’s proposed Energy East Pipeline which would cut through the region (see, for example, the Council of Canadians’ commentary).
The Northern Trappers Alliance representing Dene people set up a blockade in November of 2014 north of La Loche on the road that leads to Cenovus Energy’s oil sands leases and to uranium mines. The Government of Saskatchewan sought and won a court injunction against the blockade and the RCMP dismantled it on December 1. The Alliance has maintained a camp and an information picket at the roadside and are demanding that industry end oil and mineral exploration and leave the area.[1]
Another issue unfolding at the time of this writing (in May 2015) is the growing public concern over the problem of oil wells releasing toxic levels of sour gas (hydrogen sulphide). This has the potential to become another key area of public contention.
[1] With thanks to Emily Eaton for contributing this point.
References
Noble, B., 2008. Strategic Approaches to Regional Cumulative Effects Assessment: A Case Study of the Great Sand Hills, Canada. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal 26, 78-90.
Noble, B., 2009. Promise and dismay: The state of strategic environmental assessment systems and practices in Canada. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 29, 66-75.
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The content for this province was peer-reviewed in April 2015. We’d like to acknowledge the assistance of the external reviewers and Brittany McNena who contributed to this webpage content.
