This weekend, Moab residents hiked up to Delicate Arch to call on governments and banks to stop funding the expansion of tar sands in North America, as part of the International Stop The Tar Sands Day.
Utah could soon have first tar sands mine in the country, located north of Moab in the Colorado River watershed. Canadian company Earth Energy Resources aims to extract 2,000 barrels a day of tar sands oil from their PR Springs Mine. Earth Energy Resources has received all of the required permits to begin operation except for the Conditional Use Permit from Grand County.
“Grand County Council has the power to choose between investment in a dirty fuel that destroys our land, water and wildlife, or development of clean energy sources that enhances our beautiful and vibrant way of life,” said Moab local Ashley Anderson.
Tar sands, also called oil sands in Canada, produce one of the dirtiest fuels on the planet. On average, each barrel of tar sands oil generates three times the greenhouse gases as conventional fuel, consume or contaminate two to four barrels of water, and expose ground water to toxic pollutants such as arsenic, lead, mercury, nickel and cyanide. Extraction of tar sands in Canada has devastated an area the size of Florida.
“This area should be known for the iconic beauty that draws travels from around the world, not for introducing one of the worst forms of energy to the United States,” said Juliana Williams, one of the organizers for the event. “We refuse to sit idly by as the State of Utah and Earth Energy Resources trade away our future.”
Other events with the “International Stop the Tar Sands Day” took place in Berlin, London, Copenhagen, Montreal and Toronto.
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