Environmental Edition: Land Reclamation Project in Canada

This assignment is a newspaper article written by a student for the Canada Chronicle, focusing on a land reclamation project in Canada. The article investigates the ongoing reclamation efforts in Alberta and British Columbia, particularly concerning natural gas well sites. It details the purpose of the projects, driven by the oil and natural gas industry's commitment to effective land management and returning distributed land to productive use. The article outlines the processes involved, including drainage systems, soil replacement, vegetation, and water quality monitoring. It also addresses the social, political, environmental, and economic impacts of these projects, highlighting their role in mitigating health issues, fostering development, and navigating political discussions. The student's research is based on information from CAPP and other sources.

NEWS ARTICLE

On-going Land Reclamation Project in Canada
By “student name” on “Date” Alberta & British Columbia
Natural gas well sites reclamation at the project planning phase (Land Reclamation in
Canada | Land Reclamation Projects & Action | CAPP, 2019).
Canada’s oil and natural gas industry has shared a commitment for the effective land
management. Returning the distributed land to a usable condition is known as land
reclamation. The main purpose of this process of land reclamation, by oil and natural gas
industry is that, the land used is returned in a productive condition. By which, it can be used
for more services such as building constructions, Agriculture etc.
This process is on-going in two provinces of Canada, as Alberta and British Columbia. After
giving a long life cycle to the oil sands operation (Approx. 25 to 50 years for an oil sands
mine), many of the industry’s land reclamation process is still in the early stages. Regulation
has ensured that the distributed land will returned to an acceptable condition, once the
operations will reached at the end of their productive life as an oil industry (Land
Reclamation in Canada | Land Reclamation Projects & Action | CAPP, 2019).
This land reclamation process follows various steps as shown below:
 Drainage system with ground re-contouring.
 Topsoil, subsoil and organic material salvaged replacement before the land
distribution.
 Seeding and vegetation.
 Water quality, vegetation establishment and soil monitoring.

The quick development of the oil sands has enhanced the pressure of the natural environment.
Hence, by this reclamation process, the land can be productive again.
Social impacts of the land issues are related with the health. So, by this land reclamation
process, the land will be monitored for the vegetation and other purposes, which will be
helpful for mitigating the health issues.
By this land reclamation process, more land will be available for the development purpose.
Hence, it would be good for the economic point of view.
The political discussion between the states can be found in the reclamation works for the
environmental implications. Hence, the political conflict can be occurred (Poveda and
Lipsett, 2013)

References
CAPP. 2019. Land Reclamation In Canada | Land Reclamation Projects & Action | CAPP.
[online] Available at: <https://www.capp.ca/explore/land-reclamation/> [Accessed 10 April
2020].
Poveda, C. and Lipsett, M., 2013. The Canadian oil sands: environmental, economic, social,
health, and other impacts. WIT Transactions on Ecology and The Environment, [online] 173,
pp.575-587. Available at:
<https://www.witpress.com/Secure/elibrary/papers/SDP13/SDP13048FU1.pdf> [Accessed 10
April 2020].