Seven Alberta First Nations have banded together to seek answers as industry and government move on billion-dollar plans to inject and store millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases underneath or adjacent to their traditional lands.

SA国际影视传媒淲e donSA国际影视传媒檛 know how pumping carbon underground will affect our lakes, our rivers SA国际影视传媒� even our underground reservoirs,SA国际影视传媒� said councillor Michael Lameman of Beaver Lake Cree Nation, one of the members of the Treaty 6 working group.

SA国际影视传媒�(IndustrySA国际影视传媒檚) been vague, not very forthcoming.SA国际影视传媒�

The working group includes Heart Lake First Nation, Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Whitefish Lake First Nation, Kehewin Cree Nation, Frog Lake First Nation, Cold Lake First Nations and Onion Lake Cree Nation. Saddle Lake Cree Nation is observing the group.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 lots to be checked as far as the project relates to both the safety of the environment and the communities,SA国际影视传媒� said Darryl Steinhauer, consultation co-ordinator for Whitefish Lake.

SA国际影视传媒淭he (carbon capture) project is inclusive of eight Nations where people are not only practising their treaty rights but living there day to day. Safety is a big concern.SA国际影视传媒�

Industry says itSA国际影视传媒檚 doing its best.

SA国际影视传媒淲e are in the early stages of consultation with communities,SA国际影视传媒� said a statement from Kendall Dilling, head of Pathways Alliance, which represents 95 per cent of AlbertaSA国际影视传媒檚 oilsands production. SA国际影视传媒淲e are dedicated to working together with Treaty 6 First Nations and ongoing discussions will take place in a confidential manner.SA国际影视传媒�

A Pathways spokeswoman said the first project-related applications are expected by the end of next month.

SA国际影视传媒淔ocusing initially on the proposed right-of-way for the CO2 transportation network, Pathways now intends to target filing applications under the Public Lands Act in (the first quarter),SA国际影视传媒� Jerrica Goodwin said in an email.

Indigenous communities, who watch the promotional TV ads and hear the support from politicians, say they feel the momentum building.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e hearing a lot of concerns,SA国际影视传媒� said Steinhauer. SA国际影视传媒�(Councillors) are getting called in the evening about it, saying SA国际影视传媒楬ey, whatSA国际影视传媒檚 going on?SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒�

The bands would like to know.

SA国际影视传媒淭he Pathways Alliance has not provided our First Nations with any reports or data assessing the potential risks associated with the storage of carbon adjacent to and beneath our reserve lands,SA国际影视传媒� says an Oct. 13 letter from the First Nations to Pathways.

Pathways Alliance is proposing a gargantuan scheme to capture carbon dioxide from 13 oilsands facilities, pipe it hundreds of kilometres south and pump it from at least 16 injection wells to more than a kilometre underground. There, porous limestone underneath a layer of solid rock salt is to hold it fast.

The first phase is budgeted at $16.5 billion and will stash up to 12 million tonnes of carbon a year by 2030. Depending on whoSA国际影视传媒檚 measuring, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 between 12 and 17 per cent of the oilsandsSA国际影视传媒� annual emissions.

Advocates say projects such as the Boundary Dam power plant in Saskatchewan and ShellSA国际影视传媒檚 Quest project outside Edmonton prove carbon capture and storage can work. Quest injects about a million tonnes of carbon dioxide underground annually.

Others say leakage SA国际影视传媒� especially through poorly sealed oil and gas wells or into groundwater SA国际影视传媒� remains a concern.

AlbertaSA国际影视传媒檚 underground carbon tank is vast. A Pathways map suggests its proposed storage hub covers thousands of square kilometres of northeastern Alberta.

That map does not show any reserve lands or First Nations communities, although there are 11 such areas within or adjacent to it.

SA国际影视传媒淭he map of the proposed sequestration hub SA国际影视传媒� is premised on the notion that our First Nations and our reserve lands either do not exist or we simply donSA国际影视传媒檛 matter,SA国际影视传媒� says the letter from the First Nations.

The approval process for the project also raises concerns.

Renato Gandia, spokesman for the Alberta Energy Regulator, said the agency will only review facilities that capture carbon, pipelines that transport it and wells that inject it. It wonSA国际影视传媒檛 consider whatSA国际影视传媒檚 injected or how it behaves after injection.

SA国际影视传媒淎 carbon sequestration tenure or agreement from the government of Alberta is required if a company wants to apply for a CCS project,SA国际影视传媒� he wrote in an email.

Permits for a carbon capture and storage project are granted directly by the energy minister. While applications require monitoring and cleanup plans, the regulations do not mention public input.

SA国际影视传媒淚t appears that the regulatory regime is going to consist of a series of isolated, low-level regulatory applications,SA国际影视传媒� said Clayton Leonard, lawyer for several of the First Nations in the working group.

Pore space under reserve lands is owned by First Nations. Leonard said itSA国际影视传媒檚 unlikely that carbon dioxide injected into Crown land can be kept from seeping under reserves.

SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 think you can talk about pore space with that neat boundary to it.SA国际影视传媒�

Leonard said information gleaned from public meetings held in non-reserve communities suggests injection wells will be located close to reserves.

SA国际影视传媒淭hat really raises our level of concern.SA国际影视传媒�

Meanwhile, Steinhauer said he continues to face questions from band members every day.

SA国际影视传媒淕rocery shopping isnSA国际影视传媒檛 as quick any more as it used to be.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒擝y Bob Weber, The Canadian Press