Articles by Nia Williams

Canada’s Wildfire Season Ranks Among Worst but Less Severe Than Feared

With summer drawing to a close in Canada, the 2024 wildfire season is shaping up as one of the most destructive on record, largely due to the devastation caused by a blaze that ripped through a tourist town in the …

Environmental Groups Sue Suncor for Colorado Refinery Pollution

Environmental groups filed a lawsuit against Suncor Energy on Tuesday, alleging that pollution from the company’s Commerce City refinery in Colorado has resulted in long-lasting harm to surrounding communities. The lawsuit was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of GreenLatinos, the …

Devastating Wildfire Burns Down Almost 50% of Western Canadian Tourist Town

A raging wildfire has devastated the western Canadian tourist town of Jasper, potentially destroying up to 50% of structures, and firefighters were trying Thursday to save as many buildings as possible, authorities said. Jasper is in the middle of mountainous …

Suncor’s Syncrude Canada to Pay C$390,000 After Worker Fatality

Oil sands producer Syncrude Canada, majority-owned by Suncor Energy, will pay C$390,000 ($287,187.04) after pleading guilty to a health and safety charge relating to the death of a worker on one of its sites in June 2021, the Alberta government …

Flood-Stricken British Columbia Weighs Cost of Climate-Proofing Infrastructure

CALGARY, Alberta – Flood-stricken British Columbia is considering major upgrades to its highway network to make it more resilient to climate change risks, as the province starts reconstruction work after last week’s devastating floods. Upgrades would include building longer bridges …

Canadian Storms Force Shut-Down of Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline

OTTAWA/CALGARY, Alberta – Canada’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline has been shut down temporarily because of rainstorms pounding parts of the province of British Columbia, the operating company said in a statement on Monday. The Canadian government-owned pipeline ships 300,000 barrels …

British Columbia’s New COVID-19 Restrictions Disrupt Construction Projects

CALGARY, Alberta – Restrictions imposed by British Columbia to fight the spread of COVID-19 infections after the holiday break have disrupted work at construction sites of a Rio Tinto hydropower project and BC Hydro’s Site C dam. A total of …

Aging Oil Pipelines Operated by Canada’s Enbridge Raise Fears over Great Lakes Spills

Fears about oil spills into the Great Lakes from two aging U.S. pipelines have flared, raising doubts about their future and creating fresh headaches for operator Enbridge Inc and the Canadian energy sector. Canada has faced years of delay in …

Slow Pace of Insurance Payouts, Rebuilding Angers Alberta Wildfire Victims

Some five months after the wildfires that devastated Fort McMurray were extinguished, anger over red tape and the slow pace of insurance payouts and permit issuance is flaring in the remote northern Canadian city. More than 1,900 structures were destroyed …

Update: Canadian Wildfire Rages, Leading to Evacuation of 80,000 People

Fire raged unchecked through the Canadian city of Fort McMurray overnight as authorities raced to complete the evacuation of its population of 80,000, fearful that hot, dry winds forecast for Wednesday would further fan the flames. About 44,000 people were …