Councillors right to vote to intervene
Editorial appeared in Fort McMurray Today June 16, 2006
The vote by regional council this week to intervene at the upcoming Suncor Energy Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB) hearings that start in a couple of weeks is precedent-setting.
Many have viewed the oilsands industry and local government as closely aligned for as long as bitumen has been a going concern. The upcoming intervention will be unusual because it's evidence of a clear split between the local government and the dominant industry that employs so many citizens here.
Wood Buffalo was driven to the action by desperation. To build the needed infrastructure to support the workers brought in by oilsands expansion, the municipality is going into debt. Huge debt. Way more debt than almost any other municipality in the province when compared with the annual budget.
It's debt that will hurt councillors and mayors of the future. They'll be limited by the huge payments being rung up today.
The spending that's now being undertaken is needed. Expansion of the water and sewer plants are a legal and moral requirement. The new MacDonald Island recreation facility is mandatory to maintain the health of our citizens, as are the new library and police station.
As has been pointed out repeatedly, it's a list of needs, not wants.
The oilsands plants are good corporate citizens. They pump millions of dollars into the local economy above and beyond the salaries they pay and purchasing they do.
But it's not enough.
While we haven't seen the municipality's submission to the AEUB, we know it will likely touch on many of these points.
A series of hearings around Wood Buffalo brought out submissions by individuals and groups that, in some cases, are unhappy with the changes wrought on the landscape and environment by the oilsands industry. Their concerns are relevant, but the reality of the oilsands industry will not be challenged. It's here to stay.
No one should get their hopes up too much. The AEUB is a government regulatory body that examines all applicants according to a set of rules, put in place by politicians.
It's possible the AEUB could listen to the Wood Buffalo concerns and dismiss them. It's conceivable the board could order Suncor Energy to do more for local residents. But it's unthinkable it would deny Suncor's application.
This is the real world, after all.
We all hope -- even Suncor workers -- that a precedent is set and right here, right now, and oilsands companies are asked to share their incredible wealth to a greater extent.
We'll know by the fall.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today.
The vote by regional council this week to intervene at the upcoming Suncor Energy Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB) hearings that start in a couple of weeks is precedent-setting.
Many have viewed the oilsands industry and local government as closely aligned for as long as bitumen has been a going concern. The upcoming intervention will be unusual because it's evidence of a clear split between the local government and the dominant industry that employs so many citizens here.
Wood Buffalo was driven to the action by desperation. To build the needed infrastructure to support the workers brought in by oilsands expansion, the municipality is going into debt. Huge debt. Way more debt than almost any other municipality in the province when compared with the annual budget.
It's debt that will hurt councillors and mayors of the future. They'll be limited by the huge payments being rung up today.
The spending that's now being undertaken is needed. Expansion of the water and sewer plants are a legal and moral requirement. The new MacDonald Island recreation facility is mandatory to maintain the health of our citizens, as are the new library and police station.
As has been pointed out repeatedly, it's a list of needs, not wants.
The oilsands plants are good corporate citizens. They pump millions of dollars into the local economy above and beyond the salaries they pay and purchasing they do.
But it's not enough.
While we haven't seen the municipality's submission to the AEUB, we know it will likely touch on many of these points.
A series of hearings around Wood Buffalo brought out submissions by individuals and groups that, in some cases, are unhappy with the changes wrought on the landscape and environment by the oilsands industry. Their concerns are relevant, but the reality of the oilsands industry will not be challenged. It's here to stay.
No one should get their hopes up too much. The AEUB is a government regulatory body that examines all applicants according to a set of rules, put in place by politicians.
It's possible the AEUB could listen to the Wood Buffalo concerns and dismiss them. It's conceivable the board could order Suncor Energy to do more for local residents. But it's unthinkable it would deny Suncor's application.
This is the real world, after all.
We all hope -- even Suncor workers -- that a precedent is set and right here, right now, and oilsands companies are asked to share their incredible wealth to a greater extent.
We'll know by the fall.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today.
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