Oils sands development: A health risk worth taking?

Abstract

With the recent dwindling of traditional petroleum supplies, some energy corporations have shifted their attention to oil sands, a mixture of sand, water, and a viscous form of petroleum called bitumen. Despite economic uncertainties in the oil sands market many in the United States see the resource as a stable, secure alternative to overseas oil, with primary deposits found in Canada. However, oil sands development is also associated with releases of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and greenhouse gases. Recent studies suggest the possibility of increased cancer risks for humans and adverse effects on wildlife due to wastewater leakage from tailings ponds in northern Alberta. Concerned scientists and environmentalists are calling for a moratorium in expansion of oil sands development projects until these environmental health questions are more fully addressed.