Why Resist The Tar Sands?

As a little background let’s examine exactly what these “tar sands” are and where they are located.  These so called tar sands are also commonly called “oil sands” because they contain a heavy concentration of a type of oil called bitumen.  This type of oil is heavy, viscous, sluggish and impossible to pump.  It is bound up in the soil which also contains clay, sand water and other minerals.  Various methods are used to remove the oil from the sands which is the first step on the way for this oil to become a usable petroleum product.

So now we know what tar sands are, where are they?  There are various tar sand deposits all over the world.  They abound in many areas of the western United States but the largest current deposit of concern is in Alberta Canada.  The Keystone XL Pipeline proposal really ignited the fuse to a powder keg of boiling emotions and set off a furor unprecedented in the history of environmental movements.  Why is everyone so upset?  Read on

Why Everyone Is SO Upset

There are several steps involved in the process of changing the bitumen oil (or tar) into the end petroleum product.  Each of these steps present danger to the environment and potential catastrophic damage.  The first step in the process is mining the tar sands.  Huge quantities of the sand must be scooped up and taken to  processing area.  The most common method is strip mining which can have devastating consequences to the environment.

Opponents to the tar sand development point out what is currently happening at the Alberta tar sand project.  Here, they say, the extraction procedure has led to massive tailings ponds which have leaked into the soil and environment taking along with them toxic chemicals.  Keep in mind that before the bitumen can be pumped it must be treated with a variety of toxic products to make it thin enough to be pumped.  Toxic pollution of local water ways and aquifers they say is an inevitable consequence of such projects.

Getting this treated oil to market is another point of contention with people resisting tar sands development.  The toxic effects in the local area of the tar sands can be extended for hundreds even thousands of miles if a project such as the Keystone XL pipeline was completed.  This huge pipeline would carry the bitumen oil and it’s toxic chemical side-kicks across a great deal of Canada and across the entire United States, delivering its noxious slurry to refineries on the Gulf Coast.  Each step of the way the construction would damage local habitat, animal corridors, water quality and muddle some pristine views.

The Risk of a Spill…

It also opens the door to the potential of disastrous pipeline spills or leakage that could foul ground water and critically damage the environment for years to come.  These groups point out that there is trouble in store at the source and all along the pathway of this plan.

So with all of the dangers and environmental hazards why are we even considering tar sands projects?  The answer is easy.  The answer is money.  This is not money that will end up in your wallet, these resisters point out, unless you happen to be in bed with the oil companies.  The money goes straight to the oil companies, as if they don’t have enough already.  Proponents of the tar sands projects insist it will be great for the economy and gas prices will fall.  Opponents reply that this oil is headed straight to the Gulf of Mexico to be refined and shipped to the world market where the highest bidder gets the oil.

Tarsands Risks

To understand the risks of tar sand development for oil production we must first understand this thing called “tar sands”.  Tar sands are frequently referred to as “oil sands” because of their heavy concentration of a tarry thick oil called bitumen.  This oil is bound up in the soil composed of minerals, water and clay.  This type of oil cannot be refined or pumped directly without first being treated to reduce it’s viscosity (make it thinner).  This process is done with toxic hydrocarbons.  The process of getting at this oil takes us to the beginning list of risks for this type of oil production.  It’s not like drilling a well and letting the oil flow forth.  It takes a lot of tar sand to produce one barrel of usable oil.

Damages To Local Area

First on the list of risks is the damage to the local area where the tar sands reside.  Usually, large scale strip mining is the most economical answer to getting enough sand fast enough to extract enough bitumen.  This monstrous scale of strip mining damages the pristine environment not only visually but in many other less obvious and long terms ways.  For example, a giant industrial project of this magnitude brings with it support structures such as roads, sewers, machinery, vehicles and all types of human activities that damage the land and defile local delicate ecosystems.

Risk Of Chemical Exposure And Toxicity

Second on the list of risk is that of the toxic chemicals used for extraction and processing.  After these chemicals are trucked in they are used then stored in toxic ponds called tailings ponds.  Although engineers insist these ponds are safe there are already many examples of that toxic soup leaking out into the environment and into the water table and local streams and springs that provide drinking water for the animals of the area.

Will Somebody Please Think Of The Animals

Third on the list is the disturbance of local animal migration corridors and food chains.  Such huge developments cannot expect to be called environmentally friendly.  Any endeavor of this magnitude changes the environment to an extent that local wildlife and ecosystems will be at risk, not to mention the damage to local communities and social systems that have been around for hundreds of years.  Take for example the displacement and abuse of the native residents of the Alberta Canada tar sands area.

Transporting Dangerous Goods

Fourth on the list of risks is the risk of transport.  This oil has to not only be extracted from the sands, then treated for transport, it must make its way to refineries hundreds or even thousands of miles away.  For a trip of this length the only economical method of transport is by pipeline.  This method opens up a huge variety of potential risks and ecological impacts.

The mere construction of such a giant pipeline would stamp the footprint of man, his machines and noxious chemicals in wide eco-swath of destruction unparalleled in the history of man.  Trucks, machines, equipment and people would spread unheard of damage to delicate ecosystems already struggling for survival.  Then, when the pipeline is finished, the oil would begin to flow.  Let’s keep in mind this oil is more now than just bitumen.  It has been laced with a toxic cocktail that makes more digestible for pumping and processing and more poisonous for the environment when that inevitable leak or spill occurs.

From initial mining, to extraction, to preparation to transport, the risks of tar sands development loom as a ghostly apparition on the horizon of nature.  Never have people risked giving up so much for a return that will land firmly in the laps of the oil companies, and nowhere else.

Tarsands Resistance Movements

Let’s talk about tar sands and why there is such a fuss about resisting the development of tar sands.  The first thing we should know is that tar sands are also known as “oil sands”.  The type of oil that is contained in these sands is a dark, sluggish, viscous oil that very much resembles tar and thus the name, “tar sands”.

The sands are made up of sand, clay, water, minerals and the oil is called Bitumen.  This oil is a little different than that pumped from traditional oil wells, but with some processing it can be refined in much the same way.  So why is there such resistance to the development of this supply when we need it so badly?  The resistance movements will be happy to tell you why.

The Oilsand Resistance Movements

The list of resistance movements is a long one, many are small and local others are national or international.  You’ll see such heavy-weights as Tar Sands Action, The Natural Resources Defense Council, The Sierra Club, Greenpeace, the Environmental Defense Fund, Friends of The Earth, the Rain Forest Action network and many others.

All of these groups have different areas of emphasis but when it comes to tar sands, they are all in the same corner.  The trip-wire that set them all off recently was the proposal for the Keystone XL Pipeline.  They view it as once of the largest dangers to ecology and the environment ever.  In a letter co-authored by the above groups which was sent to President Obama they outlined their concerns and concluded the letter with “this is a terrible project”.

What They’re Fighting For

These groups and others pointed out several factors, both environmental and economic that should be of great concern to the people of the United States.  The economic argument by the supporters of this tar sands pipeline say it will both create jobs, boost the economy and provide a huge domestic source of oil.  With the price of gas the way it is, it can be a convincing argument.  “Not true”, say the resistance groups.  First, once the pipeline is built, most of the jobs will be gone, so the job-spurt will be a flash in the pan.

Secondly they point out that this huge pipeline stretching from Canada to the Gulf Of Mexico will carry oil to refineries there where is will be sold on the world market to the highest bidders, not just the United States.  They also point out that even though the United States is the number three oil producing country on the planet, it’s citizens still pay an enormous price for gasoline.  They say to consider that in Saudi Arabia the price is gasoline is about 61 cents a gallon and Saudi Arabia is just very slightly above the United States in oil production (7,800,000 bbl/ day for the United States and 8,800,000 bbl/day for Saudi Arabia).

Can The Movement Really Make A Difference?

So all the hype about energy independence and lower gas prices is all eye-wash and spin.  It’s all about money for the oil companies.  They ask, “how much is enough money”.  They argue that this pipeline and these tar sands will only help the already wealthy oil companies get richer.

These groups also point out the environmental impact of strip mining the tar sands, the dangers of pipeline breaks and oil leakage, not to mention the dangerous chemicals and processes used to convert the sluggish bitumen oil into a less viscous liquid that can be pumped through the pipeline to the refineries.  Considering what is to be gained against what is at risk these groups stand together against the Keystone XL Pipeline and the dangers of tar sands development.

Of late we hear a lot of conjecture about tar sands and what environmental impact they may have on the planet.  The easy answer to that is none.  No impact at all.  They’ve been around for millions of years and if we leave them undisturbed they’ll be around for a few million more.  The problem is, as the price of petroleum skyrockets the cost of removing petroleum from tar sands becomes economically viable, we’re going after that hidden oil.

Tar sands and also sometimes called “oil sands”.  They are composed of clays, water, sand and other minerals and most importantly, “bitumen”.  Bitumen is a type of oil.  It is heavy, black and quite viscous.  This black oily muck can be mined, the oil extracted and then sent on to a refinery to become gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products.  This bitumen cannot be pumped.  It is bound up in the oil sand itself.

There are two basic methods of squeezing that oil out of the tars sands.  The first method is to scoop it up, to mine it in a very big way.  Strip-mining tens of thousands of tons of the stuff and transporting it to where it can be heated, processed and the oil removed for refining is the first method.  The environmental impact of this human activity can be devastating to an eco-system.  It disturbs local wildlife migration patterns, removes surface foliage that previously prevented erosion and flooding.  The RnA Drops It disturbs food chains and just the presence of the huge amounts of diesel burned with the equipment operating fouls the air and pollutes the water.

The second method actually inserts chemicals and heat into the ground directly releasing the bitumen so it can more readily be directly removed from the sands.  Obviously, the effects of these chemical injections, heating, human activity and pollution as just as destructive to delicate environments as the mining or strip mining methods.

The whole point of this technology is to release oil.  The oil is not exactly the same as that pumped from traditional oil wells, but once processed, it can be refined in much the same way.  Recovering the oil from the tar sands is actually a two step process.  The first phase is extracting and separating.  In most major operations the sands are extracted then moved to a processing location where the oil is extracted.

When this very heavy bitumen oil is extracted, it is far too viscous to be transported by pipeline and so it must be treated with other chemicals before it is “light” enough to be pumped through pipelines to a refinery.  In the case of operations like the Tar Sands of Alberta Canada, these pipelines could stretch for many hundreds of miles.  So here we have still another link in the eco-chain that is endangered.  Not only are there environmental impacts at the tar sand site itself, but those impacts and stretch the full length of the giant pipelines that are envisioned for the future.  These mammoth pipelines could endanger watersheds, wildlife migration patterns and a spill should occur, a disaster of monumental proportions could occur.

So once again we ask ourselves some serious questions.  Is it worth the risk for RnA Drops.  We hear a lot of talk about our becoming energy independent using these tar sands yet there is no plan to use the oil here in the United States.  We’re going to sell it to the highest bidders on the international market.  So the oil companies get the money, our lands are endangered and we still pay premium prices for our gasoline.

This entire tar sand oil recovery idea needs a serious re-think.