As the main customer, Mr. Saul said, the United States has an obligation to consider the environmental impact of oil sands production when it reviews proposals to build pipelines to expand imports of Canadian oil. That is particularly true, he said, when Canadian governments have failed to force the industry to limit greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution.
Ms. Pelosi was accompanied by Edward Markey, the Democratic chair of the House committee on energy independence and global warming. The two powerful Democrats told environmentalists that they are committed to reducing North America’s reliance on fossil fuels, and the Canadian activists saw that as a clear signal that oil sands producers will have to reduce their environmental impact even as the U.S. government endeavours to reduce demand for their product.
Native leaders from northern Alberta joined the environmentalists at their morning meeting in the monolithic U.S. embassy building, and Ms. Pelosi urged them to lead off the discussion with their views on the pollution and health impacts downstream from the massive oil projects.
Suncor’s Mr. George said there was “goodwill” in the room when the executives met with the U.S. politicians. He said both share a common interest – a reliable, reasonably priced source of energy with an improving environmental record.
“We all have the same goals,” said Mr. George, whose company is Canada’s largest oil sands producer. “We all need cheap energy to make sure that we keep these economies moving ahead, and that we’re in lock-step in terms of the need for continuous improvement on the environmental front.”
Mr. George refused to comment on whether Ms. Pelosi had discussed with him the health and pollution concerns that had been raised by the first nations chiefs.
“I’m not going to get into ‘he said, she said’,” he said in a telephone interview. “That’s not even appropriate for you to ask.”
In informal conversation after the embassy luncheon, Ms. Pelosi was lobbied further. Ms. Harper told the Speaker that her brother works in Fort McMurray – home of Alberta’s oil sands – and that companies are working hard to reduce their environmental impact. France Chrétien Desmarais, daughter of former prime minister Jean Chrétien, urged Ms. Pelosi to visit the oil sands – an invitation that had been extended by Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach during a dinner meeting on Wednesday night.
Prior to Ms. Pelosi’s trip to Ottawa, there had been talk that she might follow up with a visit to the oil sands, but her office says she has no plans to do so.
