New Report Exposes Toxic Tar Sands Impacts in the Great Lakes Region

For Immediate Release, September 3, 2009, OTTAWA – The tar sands are creating severe environmental, economic and social problems in the Ontario - Michigan Great Lakes Region according to a new Polaris Institute report.

The report, “Toxic Trail Exposure,” is the result of an Ontario youth delegation that traveled together to Sarnia, Detroit and Windsor to uncover and expose the connections between the Great Lakes Region and tar sands developments.

Some of the key findings include:

Residents of Sarnia, Windsor and Detroit are located near five major tar sands oil refineries, are reporting disproportionately high rates of respiratory illness, cancers, skin disorders, and kidney problems.

Across the Great Lakes Region – in both Canada and the United States – youth are concerned about the impacts of ongoing tar sands developments and actively working to expose the dangers.

“Our findings clearly show that the tar sands are not just concerning for communities in Alberta, but a troubling national issue,” explains Tanya Roberts-Davis, report author and Polaris Institute Campaigner. “Here in Ontario, refineries that process tar sands oil are contaminating our watersheds with toxic chemicals, increasing air pollution levels, and polarizing our communities.”

Together the youth delegation and Polaris Institute are calling for a moratorium on all tar sands developments – from the pits in Alberta to the pipes and smokestacks in the Great Lakes Region.

The full report is available online at: http://www.tarsandswatch.org/files/TarSandsToxicTrail_0.pdf [1]

Photos from the Toxic Trail Exposure tour are online at:
http://allan.lissner.net/?p=1980 [2]

For more information contact:
Tanya Roberts-Davis, Polaris Institute – 613-237-1717 x106
Elly Adeland, Polaris Institute – 613-237-1717 x104