OTTAWA
-- News that the Alberta oil sands will finally have some monitoring in place
is welcome, though more will be needed, say the Greens. “We are finally
moving from a negligent and illegal lack of monitoring to an improved
monitoring system. It will be very important that the data collected be
available for independent review until such time as the monitoring can be
conducted by an independent party. Our sincere hope is that this
monitoring plan will lead to enhanced clean-up plans and charges under federal
law if illegal contamination continues to take place,” said Green Leader
Elizabeth May.
Scientists
have been increasingly concerned over toxic chemicals seeping into the
Athabasca River. Studies have found high levels of arsenic, mercury and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in the watershed surrounding the tar
sands. Downstream, the community of Fort Chipewyan has been suffering a
30% higher rate of cancer. This increase in cancer has been linked to the
pollution finding its way into the river from tailings ponds upstream.
Every barrel of oil produced requires up to six barrels of water, a lot of
which ends up as wastewater in tailings ponds. These ponds are some of
the largest manmade structures on the face of the planet.
The new
monitoring plan will involve an increase in the number of monitoring sites and
the types of chemicals scrutinized. Expected to cost around $50 million,
the plan will be paid for by the industry.
“It
is entirely appropriate that industry pay for the monitoring and clean-up of
their operations,” said May. “Having independent scientists involved is
very important as the placement of monitoring sites and the chemicals detected
will determine if the results are useful. If the industry continues to
insist that nothing is wrong and nothing changes, all we will know is that the
monitoring system has failed yet again.”
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Media
Contact:
Rebecca Harrison
media@greenparty.ca
613-614-4916