Now that the old conservative government is no longer gagging our scientists, we get a new non-shocking report from Environment Canada. The finding: Alberta’s oilsands industry is one of the biggest sources in North America of harmful air pollutants called secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) that are then carried by winds across the country to pollute soil and water. See Alberta’s oilsands huge source of harmful air pollution, study finds:
“Such production should be considered when assessing the environmental impacts of current and planned bitumen and heavy oil extraction projects globally,” the researchers wrote…
The World Health organization says particles of that size are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs, where they cause chronic inflammation. Long-term exposure significantly boosts the risk of dying of cardiopulmonary illnesses, and there is no evidence of a safe level of exposure.
Gee, it looks so environmentally friendly in pictures…
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