HOW THE OIL SANDS GOT TO THE GREAT LAKES BASIN

Oct 7th, 2008 4:43 AM

HOW THE OIL SANDS GOT TO THE GREAT LAKES BASIN PIPELINES, REFINERIES AND EMISSIONS TO AIR AND WATER Presentation and Expert Panel Discussion Wednesday, October 8, 2008 9:00 am to 4:30 noon Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facility Munk Centre for International Studies 1 Devonshire Place Toronto, Ontario The Athabasca oil sands in Alberta, Canada are being developed faster than ever, with more than $100 billion in investment expected in the coming decade and a vast network of trans-continental pipelines and huge refinery expansions planned or underway in the U.S. heartland. The environmental problems associated with the oil sands are well known - less considered until now are questions concerning what this product will do to air and water quality when it reaches the Great Lakes basin. It's not a question of whether the oil sands will affect the Great Lakes basin -the real questions are: How much? How soon? What needs to be done? Who should act? On Wednesday, October 8, the Program on Water Issues at the University of Toronto's Munk Centre for International Studies will release How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes Basin: Pipelines, Refineries and Emissions to Air and Water. The paper, by environment writer David Israelson, looks at the rapid expansion of the oil sands delivery network to the U.S. Midwest, refinery expansion and its implications. How should policymakers address the environmental challenges, at the binational, national, state, provincial and local levels? Is there time? The release of How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes Basin will be accompanied by an expert panel discussion which will be webcast, with panelists including experts in health and emission detection technology. What: How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes Basin: Pipelines, Refineries and Emissions to Air and Water Presentation and Expert Panel Discussion Who: David Israelson (author) and expert panelists See conference agenda at: powi.ca/pdfs/events/20081008_agenda.pdf When: Wednesday, October 8, 2008 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED For further information, please contact the Program On Water Issues: ed.munk@utoronto.ca or 416-946-8919