Province says more study needed on oil sands impact
Ian Campbell Mar 09, 2011
660news.com
The provincial government says any impact from the oil sands warrants further study.
The latest report by a government-appointed panel failed to dig up any differences than the findings of independent scientists.
The province says contamination in the Athabasca River comes from natural sources, but University of Alberta researchers say they've traced hydrocarbons and heavy metals directly to the oil sands.
With the government long claiming the contamination in the river is from natural resources, the Ministry of Environment may now have to change its tune.
Environment Minister Rob Renner says their position was never that there wasn't any impact, but that contamination in the river was negligible.
In a press conference Wednesday morning with the panel's co-chair, Renner said more study and in depth monitoring is required before they can come to a conclusion.
"What I have read, indicates we need to have a system in place so that we can monitor changes, we can identify trends and address those trends," says Renner.
Renner says this is all to put emphasis on what our impact on the environment is and to make sure our limits are never exceeded.
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