Alberta seeks to overturn tough U.S. restrictions on oil imports (Canadian Press)

Published April 29, 2008

Apr 29, 2008 2:15:00 PM MST
Alberta seeks to overturn tough U.S. restrictions on oil imports (US-Cda-Oilsands)

WASHINGTON _ Alberta’‘s envoy to the United States, Gary Mar, says the province expects a U.S. working group to classify oilsands fuel as a conventional resource to overturn a tough restriction on imports.

An energy bill passed last year prohibits the U.S. government from buying “alternative” fuels that produce more greenhouse gas emissions than other sources.

Canada argues that oil from the oilsands is processed in conventional facilities.

A change from the American working group could take care of the problem, says Mar, but doesn’‘t preclude legal action from outside groups.

Alberta Deputy Premier Ron Stevens is joining Mar this week to promote the controversial oilsands project among legislators and officials.

But he’‘s been dogged by environmentalists who took out an ad in a Capitol Hill newspaper that has the maple leaf oozing oil.

The coalition of groups wants Canada to slow down the development and take steps to clean it up.

Stevens argues Alberta shares the environmental concerns of people in Canada and the U.S. but remains pragmatic and realistic.

Hurting the project would only encourage more oil from unstable countries and cost a lost of jobs, he says.

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— Michael Hogan