Undercover at the Tar Sands: What It's Really Like Working for Big Oil

[underpants]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/undercover-at-the-tar-sands-what-its-really-like-working-for-big-oil-20130828

Wapasu is a dry camp, meaning absolutely no alcohol is allowed. Employees are bussed in and out of the fenced, guarded compound for work, and aren't allowed to leave or have visitors during off-hours. Meanwhile, all rooms are subject to search. There's nothing like coming home from a long day's work, only to find a note stating drug-sniffing dogs searched your room while you were away. Some jokingly refer to Wapasu as "Wapatraz." Over at the Village, things aren't quite as harsh. There's even a bar onsite – but it closes early, and you're not allowed to have more than two drinks per night.

Back in Fort McMurray, most of us out-of-towners stay in hotels or overpriced apartments. We're all given a generous union-approved stipend to pay for lodging (and a nice per diem to cover restaurant meals), so if you play your cards right, you can pocket a nice chunk of change. Living out of a hotel room gets old fast, but it beats the hell out of staying in a camp.

Driving is incredibly and dangerous in the tar sands, and Highway 63 is known locally as "the Highway of Death." Fatalities are common, with one death every 1.3 months, on average. There is no bypass around the city, so all the heavy equipment heading to the tar sands has to roll right through Fort McMurray. Logging trucks look small and harmless compared to the massive rigs hauling satellite-sized machinery and components. The biggest load to ever grace the Canadian highway system – an 859-ton module that was bigger than two Olympic swimming pools – passed through earlier this year.

Most of us drive $8-a-gallon gas-guzzling 4x4s, but most of us also have company gas cards, so fuel economy isn't much of a concern. There's always a line-up at the Tim Horton's drive-through, where it can take 30 minutes to get a goddamn coffee. When our crew gathers for our daily meeting, almost everyone leaves their truck running.