A coalition of Indigenous leaders, farmers and rural Albertans is demanding there be a federal environmental review of Pathways, a planned carbon capture and storage facility and carbon dioxide pipeline in the oilsands region.

Members of the No CO2 Pipelines Alberta coalition spoke about their opposition during a news conference at the Queen Elizabeth II Building in Edmonton on Tuesday.

“Our people downstream do matter, and we will voice our concerns and we will make sure this project gets a thorough environmental review from the Canadian government,” Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) told reporters.

Adam is threatening legal action over the project. Several other First Nations have applied for a judicial review after they said last month they were not properly consulted on carbon capture by the federal government. A request for comment from the federal government had not been returned as of publication.

Despite a 2024 decision from the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was not needed, critics argue the proposed $16.5-billion project, in its current form, is too dangerous for nearby communities.

A plan to move Pathways forward is part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Ottawa and Alberta late last year. 

“If it is going to be wonderful and it’s going to be great for future generations, then we’re all in,” said Amil Shapka, a resident of St. Paul, Alta., and a co-founder of the No CO2 Pipelines coalition. “But I’m not going to stand here and trust an industry that we have no reason to trust. Live next to those oil and gas companies, they are not good neighbours.”

If approved, the Pathways project will use a 400-kilometre pipeline to carry CO2 emissions from 20 oilsands facilities in the Fort McMurray region to an underground storage facility in the Cold Lake area.

Industry proponents hope the project will move 22 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually by 2030, and have the oilsands industry eventually reach net-zero by 2050. The Alberta government says that as of 2023, the oilsands produced 86.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

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Some rural landowners and First Nations leaders say the environmental and financial risks posed by the proposed Pathways carbon pipeline and storage project are too great.

The project is led by the Oil Sands Alliance, a consortium of the six largest companies in the oilsands. The organization was previously called the Pathways Alliance. A statement from the group on Tuesday calls the process a “proven technology” at 77 similar facilities around the world, including in Canada.

“The Pathways Project proponents value their long-standing relationships in the communities where they operate and are committed to the transparent sharing of information,” the statement reads.

“Consultation and engagement with local Indigenous groups and local communities along the proposed Pathways Project pipeline route began in the fall of 2023 and continues.”

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter said he is surprised at the opposition and would feel safe living near the project. He said the province wants Pathways included in any agreement with Ottawa.

“We believe that we can be the economic engine of Canada,” Hunter said. “We have been for decades, but we also believe that we can have some of the highest, stringent environmental standards, which is what we have. …

“If we don’t do this, let’s just be clear, the United States will eat our lunch. We have to start thinking big and building big again.”

Alberta NDP energy and minerals critic Nagwan Al-Guneid said environmental assessments were common during her 15-year career in the oil and gas industry. She said she is disappointed to hear Indigenous and rural communities are not feeling heard by the province.

“Investors tell us they want certainty, they want to see regulatory certainty, they want clarity on the rules and they see consultations and working with First Nations and all communities, a basic type of work to ensure that business certainty,” Al-Guneid said.