The article discusses economic and environmental aspects of the Athabasca tar sands industry in the town of Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada. It notes that oil reserves in the region are estimated to be second only to those of the Middle East. Because the process of removing oil from the tar sands is relatively expensive, interest in tar sands oil production has increased with the return of escalating oil prices. The article notes environmental and human health effects attributed to tar sands development contrasted with denials of same by the Alberta government.