Transcript Keystone XL & Tar Sands Ryan Salmon Coordinator for

Tar Sands &
Keystone XL
Ryan Salmon
Coordinator for Climate and Energy Policy
National Wildlife Federation
1. Impacts of tar sands on wildlife, water
and communities in Canada.
2. Potential impacts along the pipeline
right of way and at the refinery.
3. Implications for America’s energy future
and climate change.
What are tar sands?
• Tar sands are a mixture of
sand, silt, clay, water and
bitumen.
• Bitumen is separated
from the rest of the
substrate through an
energy and waterintensive process.
Suncor Energy Inc.
•Alberta’s tar sands are the
second largest petroleum reserve
in the world – 170 billion barrels
•They are concentrated in 3
deposits that underlie an area of
over 54,000 square miles –
approximately the size of Florida.
•Over 32,000 square miles or
60% of this area has been leased
for extraction through surface
mining or in situ techniques.
David Dodge
Surface Mining
• Used to access deposits
less than 250 feet below
the surface.
• To date, over 240 square
miles of boreal forest
have been disturbed.
Peter Essick
Separation and Upgrading
• Producing tar sands
emits 3 times the
greenhouse gases of
conventional oil.
• Requires large amounts
of natural gas and water.
NWF
In Situ Extraction
• Used to access deposits
more than 250 feet below
the surface.
• Most future extraction will
use in situ techniques.
• Higher greenhouse gas
emissions than mining.
Suncor Energy Inc.
Tailings Ponds
NWF
• A toxic byproduct of tar
sands extraction.
• Cover about 65 square
miles – about the area of
Washington, D.C.
• Leak an estimated billion
gallons per year into the
local environment.
Impacts on Wildlife and Communities
• Wildlife mortality
• Fish abnormalities
• High cancer rates
in First Nation
communities
CAPP
Impacts Along
Keystone XL
• Yellowstone and
Missouri Rivers
• Prairie Potholes
• Ogallala Aquifer
• Platte River
• Neches River
BLM
Impacts at the Refinery
• Tar sands are higher in
sulfur, nitrogen, and
trace metals than
conventional oil.
• More pollution in
communities surround
the refineries that the
pipeline would service.
AP
Implications for America’s Energy
Future and Climate Change
• Lock in a high-carbon fuel supply far into the future
and encourage expansion of the tar sands.
• Undermine U.S. efforts to transition to a clean
energy economy.
• Send the wrong signal to the global community
about U.S. leadership on climate change.
Forecast Alberta Oil Supply &
U.S. Pipeline Capacity
Barrels Per Day (Thousands)
6,000
5,000
Total Alberta Supply
4,000
Exports to the U.S.
3,000
Capacity With Proposed Keystone XL
Capacity With Alberta Clipper
2,000
Capacity With Keystone and Cushing
Extension
Previous Pipeline Capacity
1,000
0
Year
GHG Emissions
• On a well-to-tank basis, emissions from
Canadian tar sands crude would be about 82%
greater than conventional crude.
• At 900,000 bpd, well to tank emissions from
the project would be 27 MMtCO2e.
• Equivalent to emissions from 7 coal-fired
power plants.
EPA Comments on
Keystone XL DEIS
“The tar sands of Canada
constitute one of our planet’s
greatest threats.”
James Hansen
There Are Better Alternatives
Thank You
Ryan Salmon
Coordinator for Climate and Energy Policy
National Wildlife Federation
202-657-3681
[email protected]