Dismissal denied in Syncrude duck trial

No matter the outcome of the Syncrude Canada trial into the deaths of migratory waterfowl, at least one environmental organization is encouraging private prosecutions in the name of accountability.

After Judge Ken Tjosvold rejected Syncrude lawyer Robert White's arguments to dismiss the case Thursday, White told gathered media a guilty verdict would open the door to private prosecutions.

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Those comments prompted Sheila Muxlow, interim director of Sierra Club Prairie to respond.

"He's trying to say 'Gosh, you can't charge us because if you do this, this is going to set off a domino effect where we're going to get charges from all these citizens who are concerned with the way we're destroying the environment and that would just be unacceptable.'

"No. That's not acceptable," she said the morning of his comments. "That's what we're supposed to be doing when we live in a democracy."

Regardless of the verdict, Sierra Club will be encouraging people to file private prosecutions to hold these companies accountable for the toxic mess they are creating, said Muxlow critical of the lack of political will to lay charges in the first place, relying on private prosecution to get the ball rolling.

"The federal government has argued that toxic tailing lakes violate Canada's environmental laws and we agree."