Oil Sands Consultation Public Meeting Information

Mineable Oil Sands Strategy - Frequently Asked Questions [Archive]

The Mineable Oil Sands Strategy (MOSS)

1. What is the Mineable Oil Sands Strategy?
2. Why is the MOSS policy necessary?
3. What area will be impacted by MOSS?
4. Does MOSS address the social infrastructure pressures facing the Municipality of Wood Buffalo?
5. How will MOSS affect oil sands development in the region/area?
6. Will MOSS increase oil sands recovery?
7. How does MOSS affect oil sands projects already underway?
8. How does MOSS impact the regulatory approval process? Will oil sands projects still require individual approvals?
9. How does MOSS align with existing provincial and federal policy?

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1. What is the Mineable Oil Sands Strategy (MOSS)?

The Mineable Oil Sands Strategy (MOSS) is a cross-ministry initiative that sets clear long-term objectives for government and industry to manage and coordinate oil sands mining and its environmental impacts within the mineable development zone.

There are six key policy components in MOSS:

The mineable oil sands area will be managed as a coordinated development zone.
Within the coordinated development zone, oil sands mining will have the highest priority.
The activities within the coordinated development zone will be constrained to sustain the adjacent regional environment.
Within the coordinated development zone there will be progressive, timely and seamless reclamation to a self-sustaining boreal forest ecosystem.
The environmental liabilities from oil sands mining will not be passed on to future generations.
Both existing and new operators will be expected to continuously improve their technology and methods.
MOSS was developed by a team of Alberta Ministries that included Environment, Energy, Sustainable Resource Development, along with advisory input from the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board.

2. Why is the MOSS policy necessary?

A shift in the extent and pattern of development on the landscape is occurring, from single projects separated by forests and forest land uses, to broad coverage of the mineable area by industrial activity, with several projects under development at the same time.

The Government of Alberta is committed to progressive improvement of the way land development and land reclamation is being managed. MOSS proposes a coordinated approach to development and reclamation that will help increase access to mineable oils sands resources as well as improve reclamation.

The proposed MOSS will provide regulators, industry, and the public with a clearer understanding of how development and land reclamation will be managed in the mineable development zone.

3. What area will be impacted by MOSS?

Please click HERE to see a detailed map of the mineable development zone.

4. Does MOSS address the social infrastructure pressures facing the Municipality of Wood Buffalo?

MOSS focuses on the mining infrastructure within the development zone only.

The Government of Alberta is aware of the unique situation facing the Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Issues surrounding housing, transportation, water and waste treatment, school and health facilities are out of the scope of MOSS and its objectives. Alberta Municipal Affairs, Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation, Alberta Seniors and Community Supports, and the Alberta Social Housing Corporation are already working to address these issues.

A number of new initiatives have been announced in the past few months and the following links are provided to obtain additional information.

Province assists Wood Buffalo with $136 million in bridge-financing to help cope with growth pressures (October 13, 2005)

Government accelerates housing and road development in Fort McMurray (July 06, 2005)

5. How will MOSS affect oil sands development in the region/area?

MOSS will assist to better manage the development of the resource and reclamation of the land. This policy will not increase or decrease the rate of development in the area.

6. Will MOSS increase oil sands recovery?

Improved coordination of mine development may increase oil sands recovery as a result of better planning along mine boundaries by leaseholders. However, MOSS will not increase or decrease the rate of development in the area.

7. How does MOSS affect oil sands projects already underway?

Mining proposals currently under review by government departments should proceed under the current regulatory processes and timelines.

8. How does MOSS impact the regulatory approval process? Will oil sands projects still require individual approvals?

MOSS should not affect the regulatory review process and timelines for mining proposals currently under review by government departments.

The MOSS consultation will provide stakeholder input about the role individual oil sands project approvals should have in the future management of the mineable oil sands.

9. How does MOSS align with existing provincial and federal policy?

MOSS will provide direction on the priority of other policies within the mineable development zone. Consultation on MOSS will help identify any conflicting or complimentary policies in place at both the provincial and federal level.

The final MOSS policy will be revised appropriately and, where there are any conflicts, MOSS will address those conflicts.

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The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)

10. What is an Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRP) ?
11. Is there an existing IRP for this area?
12. What impacts does MOSS have on the existing IRP ?
13. Why are MOSS and the draft IRP being consulted on at the same time ?
14. How does MOSS impact reclamation ?
15. How will MOSS impact air quality guidelines in the development zone ?
16. What impact does MOSS have on the Athabasca River and its tributaries ?
17. How does MOSS impact fisheries habitat in the region ?
18. How does MOSS impact wildlife habitat in the region ?
19. How does MOSS impact caribou habitat in the region?
20. How does MOSS impact Forestry in the region?
21. What does MOSS mean for areas outside its boundaries?

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10. What is an Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRP)?

Historically, public land management was directed at satisfying the needs of homesteaders and other settlers. Today, land management practices and policies address a greater variety of competing demands. These include recreation, agricultural uses, industrial uses, commercial uses and conservation of selected public land locations. Underlying these demands is a requirement to balance development and conservation of the land with long-term sustainability.

An IRP provides a comprehensive, integrated approach to the management of public land and resources. It provides government direction and policy information for developing and assessing future actions by provincial government agencies and the private sector.

The IRP is intended to be a guide for resource managers, industry and the public with responsibility or interests in the area. Resource potentials and development are identified with a view of assisting in the economic progress of Alberta.

11. Is there an existing IRP for this area?

Yes. The Fort McMurray – Athabasca Oil Sands Subregional Integrated Resource Plan was approved by the Alberta Government on May 7, 1996 and amended in June 2002.

12. What impacts does MOSS have on the existing IRP?

MOSS is a proposal to improve management of multiple projects within the mineable oil sands IRP area.

If the MOSS proposal were approved it would change a number of items in the IRP.

These amendments would include:

A maturing of emphasis from individual projects to include management of all mine projects as part of one regional plan.
A shift of priority within the IRP area from attempting to maximize all resources to recognizing oil sands development is the initial priority, with sustainable forests and wildlife habitat being provided through reclamation.
Greater expectations for continuous improvements in all aspects of operations.
Providing direction for development of service corridors (pipeline, power lines and roadways).

13. Why are MOSS and the draft IRP being consulted on at the same time?

MOSS is intended to provide a policy framework to guide continuing development in the mineable oil sands area. The draft IRP applies this policy at the working level or "on the ground."

In order to adequately explain the impact of the MOSS policy framework, it is necessary to discuss its impact on other resources and their management that are laid out in the draft IRP.

14. How does MOSS impact reclamation?

The MOSS policy builds on the government's commitment to continue improving reclamation by building on current regional efforts to:

Support a shift from an individual focus on reclaiming developed lease land to coordinated reclamation across the entire mineable development zone.
Provide government leadership to continue to work in partnership with industry to establish final land use outcomes; this will now be coordinated across the region and will include planning across lease boundaries. Industry will focus on the development and implementation of adaptive reclamation plans and reporting reclamation progress.
Create a coordinated regional approach to reclamation, so industry will further work together to establish a self-sustaining ecosystem with a natural look that fits with the adjacent landscape.
Provide direction that mine planning and operations will be integrated with reclamation design and reclamation activity. This will support progressive development and reclamation.
As with current reclamation standards, reclamation will not replace exactly what existed prior to mining, but will create a self-sustaining boreal ecosystem with a natural look that fits with the adjacent landscape.

Once a project is complete, operators will still be required to apply to the Alberta Government to obtain a reclamation certificate. Reclamation certificates are issued to operators when their site has been fully reclaimed.

15. How will MOSS impact air quality guidelines in the development zone?

MOSS commits to ensuring that the environment within and surrounding the mineable development zone meets national, provincial and regional guidelines for air quality.

The regional air monitoring system will be maintained to ensure that air quality guidelines are being met.

16. What impact does MOSS have on the Athabasca River and its tributaries?

The area covered by MOSS does not include the majority of the Athabasca River valley.

In the Athabasca River valley special management activities will be undertaken to maintain and sustain functioning wildlife habitat corridors and maintain other riparian and biodiversity objectives during the mining period as specified in the draft IRP.

Year round water quality and quantity as well as aquatic and riparian habitats will be maintained in the Athabasca River. This includes the critical spring floods in the Athabasca River delta that directly benefit fish and wildlife populations.

The proposed MOSS allows for the rerouting of some tributaries of the Athabasca River under certain conditions which include ensuring that: water quality is maintained within the remainder of the altered stream; water quality from altered drainages meet environmental standards before the water enters the Athabasca River; water quantity meets fish and riparian needs in the remainder of the altered stream and continues to contribute to quality water flows in the Athabasca River; and lost fish habitat is adequately replaced.

Stakeholder and public input obtained through the consultation process will be considered when determining whether a tributary should be retained or re-routed.

17. How does MOSS impact fisheries habitat in the region?

Under current federal policy, fisheries habitat can be removed but is subject to a no-net-loss provision that requires that the lost habitat be replaced. Ideally this occurs in the same location or in an adjacent part of the drainage to replace habitat for the affected fish populations. If necessary, habitat replacement may be considered in another location.

18. How does MOSS impact wildlife habitat in the region?

Under current mining operations, most wildlife habitat cleared during the mining phase will be re-established during reclamation. Attempts have been made to protect patches of high value and critical habitat, but the reality of the development of multiple mines is that in spite of good intentions the patches are generally ineffective and are eventually used for other purposes in the crowded landscape.

MOSS and the draft IRP address wildlife habitat by focusing our main attention on the reclaimed landscape. However, areas left undisturbed (such as river valleys retained for riparian and biodiversity values) will be managed to maintain and maximize their value as wildlife habitat. Explicit objectives will be set for the reclaimed landscape for wildlife. Adaptive management will improve reclamation for wildlife habitat to return at least pre-mining productivity for key wildlife species.

19. How does MOSS impact caribou habitat in the region?

Under MOSS and the draft IRP, mine development would negatively affect less than 1 per cent of the Athabasca Caribou Landscape Planning area and represents about 10 per cent of the mineable development zone.

It is proposed to compensate for this impact by putting more effort into conserving and maintaining effective caribou habitat in other portions of the Athabasca Caribou Landscape Planning area and across other provincial caribou landscape planning areas.

Alberta has recently adopted the majority of recommendations in the Alberta Caribou Recovery Plan. Regional and provincial caribou recovery actions will be outlined in the various Caribou Landscape Plans.

20. How does MOSS impact Forestry in the region?

MOSS and the draft IRP provide for better coordination between the forest and mining companies and further refines reforestation and compensation provisions.

It provides a closer working relationship between the forestry and mining companies in the planning of harvesting activities prior to oil sands mining. Policy changes are also proposed to shift reforestation responsibility to the mining company to be carried out during reclamation, and forest companies will be required to adjust their timber harvesting activities on their total land base as required to harvest prior to mining.

Compensation for the land base withdrawal to the Forest Management Area holder will continue to be paid by the mining companies when land is removed from their forestland base, as it will not be reforested until reclamation.

21. What does MOSS mean for areas outside its boundaries?

MOSS proposes coordinated management of land development and reclamation within the mineable development zone. The IRP will also ensure that coordinated reclamation will extend to adjacent landscapes that lie outside of this zone. Coordinated planning will establish a self-supporting ecosystem with a natural look that fits with landscapes adjacent to the mineable development zone.