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Pollution Emissions Rise in Oilsands

pollution, oilsands
pollution, oilsands

 

Pollution is a big problem around the globe, and a new report recently released shows that the air and water pollution levels in and near the oilsands close to Fort MacMurray have risen over the past two years. There are a number of stations which monitor the level of air quality and water pollution, and these stations are situated along the route between Fort MacMurray and Fort MacKay. The actual numbers range from 2 to 3, still below the 4 that causes serious concern, but it is still alarming that the levels have gone up so much. According to the report that was released

“ESRD will work with specific stakeholders whose activities result in air emissions … to inform the investigation and assist in identifying management actions that may be necessary to address point and non-point source emissions.” An updated report is expected to be released at the end of the year.

 

Much of the increase in pollution in Alberta has been seen near the oilands operations of some of the largest oil companies who operate in the area, including Shell, Suncor, CNRL, and Syncrude. The emissions that were detected by the monitoring stations involved sulfur dioxide and nitrogen, but so far none of the results have been higher than a 3. In Alberta the pollution level can not exceed a 4 because anything higher poses a risk to human health, and if these levels are reached then steps would be taken to immediately address them and this could include suspending operations in the area if necessary.

 

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Shell Albian Sands has New General Manager

Shell Albian Sands, General manager
Shell Albian Sands, General manager

 

Peter Zebedee has been hired by Shell Canada to be the new general manager for the Shell Albian Sands, and he will be responsible for the oversight of more than 1,500 contractors and over 3,000 employees for the company. Zebedee will be in charge of the oilsands operations, including the Jackpine Mines and the Muskeg River sites which are situated north of Fort MacMurray. The promotion to general manager is not surprising, Peter Zebedee has over 18 years of experience in the petroleum industry. In the past Peter has held positions in a variety of positions, including bitumen plant operations, bitumen plant maintenance, engineering, minimg, tailings operations, and others. Zebedee has also served in positions in corporate and business structures, and he holds a Geological Engineering degree that was earned at the University of British Columbia.

 

There are other qualifications that Peter Zebeded has which make him an ideal candidate for general manager at Shell Albian Sands. Peter is a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Alberta. Tom Purves was the previous general manager for Shell Albian Sands, but he was promoted to Vice President for the Shell Upstream Americas Special Projects. Peter Zebedee is warmly welcomed, and he has been with Shell since the year 2009. It is too soon to say what type of general manager Zebedee will be but many look forward to working closely with him. What do you think of this promotion? Is Zebedee qualified for the job of general manager.

 

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Wood Buffalo RCMP Seeking Help in Vandalism Case

vandalism, Wood Buffalo RCMP
vandalism, Wood Buffalo RCMP

 

The Wood Buffalo RCMP are asking the public for help in solving a recent vandalism crime. On Tuesday vandals broke into the property at Dene Sky Industries located in Janvier and the Wood Buffalo RCMP went to investigate after they received a call about the crime. So far it is not known how many suspects there were, but police do know that the vandals broke into the fenced in property at Dene Sky Industries Monday night and committed vandalism. There were pieces of equipment that were targeted for vandalism and the criminals also damaged the shop that is located inside the business yard. The estimated damage that was done is given at approximately $10,000 but this is just an early estimate and the cost to make repairs could be higher.

 

Wood Buffalo RCMP are turning to the public in search of assistance in catching the people responsible for the vandalism. During the crime there were several fire extinguishers which were set off, and police believe that the vandals would have been covered with the residue from the chemical fire extinguishers. Wood Buffalo RCMP are hoping that someone saw or heard something that will lead to suspects. If anyone has information about the vandalism at Dene Sky Industries in Janvier they can call the Wood Buffalo RCMP or they can send in an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers. It is not known whether the vandalism was just teenagers who were in a destructive mood or of there was a more serious motive involved, and any help the public can give would be appreciated.

 

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Fort MacMurray Man Dies After Fatal Hit and Run

Fort MacMurray, fatal hit and run, criminal charges
Fort MacMurray, fatal hit and run, criminal charges

 

A Fort MacMurray pedestrian was recently pronounced dead after a fatal hit and run, and the driver of the vehicle will face criminal charges. As the victim was walking across the street at 2 a.m. on Franklin Avenue right in front of the 7-11 he was struck by a car. The victim of the fatal hit and run was eventually identified as Albert Mercredi, a 46 year old whose aunt Angelina Pratt wrote about his death in her blog. Mercredi was seriously injured as a result of the collision and he was taken to a hospital in the Edmonton area using medevac. At 6:20 pm Sunday Albert Mercredi was taken off life support and he passed away from the injuries that he received when he was stuck by the vehicle.

 

The driver who was involved in the fatal hit and run in Fort MacMurray could face a number of criminal charges. The driver has been identified as 28 year old Gaetan Henri Joseph Cartier, and the initial reports from police indicate that Cartier fled the scene after hitting the victim with his vehicle. Wood Bufflalo RCMP arrested Cartier after they received a complaint about a hit and run. According to the victim’s aunt Angelina Pratt “I remember him as a gentle and loving person. He was kind. He was funny. Some might remember him when he occasionally directed traffic in Fort McMurray. He was loved by many. He enjoyed life. He loved and was so proud of his only child, his daughter Antoinette. He loved his mom and would always tell to her not to worry about him and that he would take care of her. But she worried about and prayed for him. He didn’t deserve to have his life taken from him in this manner.”

 

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Tomorrow the Fort MacMurray International Film Fest Starts

Fort MacMurray, Fort MacMurray International Film Fest
Fort MacMurray, Fort MacMurray International Film Fest

 

Starting tomorrow, August 8, 2014, the Fort MacMurray International Film Fest starts. This festival is set to run from August 8 through August 10 and will be held at the Keyano College Theatre and Arts Centre. Todd Hillier, who helped to organize the event, stated “Arts are so very important. Arts equals a hometown kind of feel, more so than just a place to work and sleep. To me, a film festival can really showcase what’s going on around the world and might be able to inspire you right here. Some of the best stuff you’ll ever see, in terms of cinema, is independent films. Over 150 submissions from around the world were submitted to the film festival and we had our selection committee narrow it down … based on entertainment value, based on the categories that we have. Our criteria really was seeing what films appealed to each person on the selection committee and we all took votes.”

 

The Fort MacMurray International Film Fest submissions totaled over 80 hours of viewing. Members of the Fort McMurray Filmmakers Association went through and chose 9 hours of film total to be shown at the festival. There will be awards, prizes, and even a 48 Hour Film Challenge. There will be a range of different genres to be viewed and anyone who attends will have a great time at this event. Some of the film submissions for the festival were sent in from as far away as Europe.

 

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Alberta Province Asked to Conserve Power As Much As Possible

Alberta province, conserve power
Alberta province, conserve power

 

Residents who live anywhere in Alberta province have been asked to power down as much as possible to conserve energy. The request to reduce the amount of electricity that is used was sent by The Alberta Electric System Operator, and there were several things that made the request necessary. Alberta province has seen some excessively high temperatures and heat recently so power demand is already high as residents try to keep cool in any way they can. There has been little wind and this is also a factor, because there is not enough wind to generate the power required for unlimited electric use by Alberta province residents. In addition a number of the company generators are off line for various reasons, and this has caused the utility to operate close to their maximum capacity.

 

Some tips offered by Alberta province in order to help residents conserve power include:

  • Turn off lights as you leave a room
  • Unplug appliances when they are not in use. Even if you are not running the blender it will still pull a small amount of electricity if it is plugged in.
  • Install room darkening blinds or just plain old shades on your windows. This will help eliminate direct sunlight into your home or office which can heat things up quickly and require power for cooling.
  • Wait until night to do laundry or run the dishwasher. There is usually a lower demand for power at night and you will use less because it is typically cooler at this time because the sun has gone down.