Pembina reacts to U.S. senators’ oilsands concerns

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Danielle Droitsch, U.S.
Policy Director for the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in
response to a letter sent by 11 American Senators to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton regarding her department's review of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline,
which would more than double U.S. imports of Canadian oilsands:

"This
powerful letter is another example of how the largest oilsands customer, the
United States, is carefully watching oilsands development in Canada. It is time
the Alberta and federal governments strengthened and enforced laws and regulations
to reduce water and greenhouse gas pollution, and damage to forests and
wildlife from oilsands development.

"This influential group of senators has highlighted
the increasing concern in the U.S. that oilsands development has significant
environmental impacts. It adds to
the growing list of issues already raised by 50 other
members of Congress, the Department of Energy and the
Environmental Protection Agency.

"The Canadian and Albertan governments and the
oilsands industry cannot continue to rely on public relations. They are
over-promising and under-delivering and it won't stand up to the informed
scrutiny of American lawmakers and regulators."

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Download: Senators' letter to Secretary of State Clinton

Download: Backgrounder on Senate letter to Clinton