Edmonton – Official Opposition Environment Critic Laurie Blakeman says the delay of the Keystone XL pipeline project gives Alberta an opportunity to get better environmental practices in place before the next round of approvals.

“Citizens all over the world, including the United States, are concerned about climate change and protecting their air, land and water,” Blakeman says. “As Keystone goes back to the drawing board, Alberta should take the opportunity to make our province and our energy sector cleaner and even more attractive to global markets. Clearly, the best way to protect our energy industry and help move projects such as Keystone forward is to take real action to make Alberta a world leader in environmental protection.”

To that end, an Alberta Liberal government would:

• Clean up Alberta’s toxic tailings ponds through research partnerships, strict guidelines and enforcement, and shared best practices – whatever gets the job done, and done fast
• Implement a no-net-loss policy to protect wetlands
• Set up a system to independently monitor greenhouse gas emissions
• Enact tougher penalties and stricter enforcement for violators
“Actions speak louder than words,” Blakeman says. “Advertising hasn’t done the job. The government must take real steps to protect our environment and our energy sector. Both are critical to Alberta’s future.”

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For further information, contact:

Earl J. Woods, Senior Communications Advisor
(780) 904-5430

Denis Lapointe, SALCO Director
(403) 860-4330

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