Xref: utzoo sci.environment:1668 can.politics:2631 can.general:1343
Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!decwrl!atha!auvax.AthabascaU.CA!charlesv
From: charlesv@cs.AthabascaU.CA (Charles van Duren)
Newsgroups: sci.environment,can.politics,can.general
Subject: Re: No more bleached kraft pulp mills
Summary: Don Getty Memorial
Keywords: organochlorines dioxins furans
Message-ID: <949@auvax.AthabascaU.CA>
Date: 4 Jul 89 14:46:39 GMT
References: <659@aurora.AthabascaU.CA>
Organization: Athabasca U, Alberta, Canada
Lines: 32

In article <659@aurora.AthabascaU.CA>, louis@cs.AthabascaU.CA (Louis Schmittroth) writes:
> 
> The north half of the Province of Alberta is facing a massive instrusion
> of pulp mills, some bleached kraft, some CTMP (Chemi-Thermo-Mechanical-Pulp),
> and a giveaway of the forest resources from an area twice the size of
> New Brunswick to foreign-owned companies.  Five of these mills will be 
> on the Athabasca river, 2 currently operating, one approved and being built, 
> 2 more proposed.  
> 
The more I follow the environment, particularly Northern Alberta pulp mill,
debate, the more I get the impression that Don Getty wants the development
as a memorial to his tenure as premier. Peter Lougheed got his provincial
park. Don Getty (and the rest of us) will end up with the Don Getty Memorial
Industrial Sewer (formerly known as the Athabasca River). Unless, of course,
the Alberta government can be brought to its senses.

The threat from the local politicians and ALPAC (the developing company) right
now is that further delays (read environmental objections and due process) may
cause abandonment of the Athabasca process. I doubt it. If they want the forest,
they will accept reasonable conditions.  The developing companies must have
been overwhelmed by their good fortune of running into a provincial government
literally willing to give away the family farm, and throw in a few hundred
millions of $$$$s to boot.

There are, of course, economic development objectives, but they need not subject
our environment to this kind of massive assault. The Friends of the Athabasca
have done a great deal to bring the long-term environmental costs of economic
development to the public's attention. Whether they will be successful in
altering the nature of the development remains to be seen. The politicians have
a great deal at stake.

Charles van Duren