News

Tori Cress Tori Cress

RELEASE: Facts made public, hefty fine urged for Obed mine disaster

We have waited two long years to find out the facts behind the catastrophic Obed coal slurry spill and be privy to the evidence for the criminal charges laid by the Alberta Energy Regulator against the then owner of the mine, Sherritt International, and Coal Valley Resources.

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Tori Cress Tori Cress

RELEASE: Climate Change Agreement must include UNDRIP

Keepers of the Athabasca calls on other world governments, even those who may feel that in their countries they do not have a group of people who self identify as Indigenous, to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in any international agreement from the UN climate change summit in Paris.

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Tori Cress Tori Cress

RELEASE: Another pipeline break devastates Northern Alberta before Gathering

The Keepers of the Water will hold our ninth annual Gathering at Bushe River next week. Unfortunately, yet another pipeline break has occurred that is challenging our co-hosts. Near Chateh, on Dene Tha' Traditional Territory, Nuvista Energy spilled 100 cubic metres of "emulsion" (bitumen, sand, and waste water) over a 13,200 square metre area.

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Tori Cress Tori Cress

RELEASE: Water Restrictions on the Athabasca River and impacts to First Nation and Metis Communities

The Alberta Energy Regulator currently placed a water restriction on the Athabasca River. The first ever since anyone can ever remember, and some are thanking the new NDP government for prodding the AER to uphold their others duties of not only Energy oversight, but Environmetal protection, which has been severely lacking since the creation of the AER.

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Tori Cress Tori Cress

Activists cycle Kinder Morgan pipeline route to Alberta tar sands to illuminate impacts on First Nations and frontline communities

A group of activists are cycling the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline route from Seattle to the tar sands boom town of Fort McMurray. Through filmed interviews with First Nations and frontline communities, these folks will illuminate the oil industry's dirty tactics and elevate the voices of those most impacted by the continued expansion of Canada's tar sands.

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Tori Cress Tori Cress

Announcing Keepers of the Water IX

Keepers of the Water and the Dene Tha' Nation in Bushe River, Treaty 8 Territory invite you to two important events this summer: a bush camp on Decolonizing Water Governance (August 5-8) and Keepers of the Water IX, our annual watershed gathering of stewards to protect our sacred Arctic Ocean Basin and northern waters (August 27-30).

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Tori Cress Tori Cress

Blast Zone signs warn of train danger

The Keepers of the Athabasca call on Transport Canada to perform independent inspections instead of relying on rail companies, in order to verify public safety. Commemorating two years after Lac Megantic, Keepers are putting up "Blast Zone" signs to warn the public that within 1 kilometre from passing trains, we are in the ‘blast zone’.

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Tori Cress Tori Cress

Open Letter regarding the Swan Hills Treatment Centre

In this letter, we state our concerns related to the reissuing of the Government of Alberta Approval for the Swan Hills Treatment Centre (SHTC) operated by SENA Waste Services Inc, which approval expires on November 15, 2015.

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Tori Cress Tori Cress

Mikisew Cree and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation challenge conclusions of the Obed Mine disaster's Human Health Risk Assessment

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) and Mikisew Cree First Nation (MCFN) describe how the Human Health Risk Assessment released by Obed Mine on January 22, 2015 ignores the precautionary principle, uses dubious methodology, and fails to protect downstream users of the Athabasca River. ACFM and MCFN question many aspects of the Assessment.

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