Bitumen is refined in the Gulf Coast plants now- nothing goes to waste.

Why should the Trans-Canada Pipelines "Keystone" project be any more catastrophe-prone than already completed major pipelines across North America?

A bitumen refinery has been proposed for Canada at a price of est. $13 billion. Since Canada doesn't need the product- it makes more sense for the consumer refineries to do the work- and their bitumen refineries are not working to capacity now.

Northern Alberta is developing, with new settlements planned. The settlement at Kearl will be the first.

The new Kearl center already has 5000 employees on site and the facilities needed for them. This will increase when the project goes online next year.
The Kearl process does not require an upgrader (as current methods do) to make a saleable crude oil. Cogeneration is involved, the waste heat is captured to produce both electricity and steam.
Land reclamation in some ways follows methods used in strip-mining coal in Illinois- it will be progressive with the cleaned overburden planted with the aid of the local First Nations. On site water storage means no water will be drawn from the Athabaska during the winter season. Tailings will be treated on site.
On-going research investigations with the University of Calgary and other institutions in the province.
In cooperation with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and local First Nations, a new lake (Kearl) will provide for birds and native fish, and methods are being devised to keep birds away from tailings.
This will be the pattern for future mining in the oil sands area and the development of northern Alberta and Saskatchewan.