Some turning points in the discussion on oilsands pollution
Aug. 31, 2010 — University of Alberta scientists David Schindler and Erin Kelly say in their peer-reviewed study, “Contrary to claims by industry and government in the popular press, the oilsands industry substantially increases loadings of toxic PPE (priority pollutants) to the AB (Athabasca River) via air and water pathways.”
Sept. 1, 2010 — Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner disputes Schindler’s findings: “My scientists are telling me that the amount of compounds that can be detected in the Athabasca River at this point are not a concern and are of insignificant levels. The fact remains that there are naturally occurring substances in the water and if we had never set foot in the region, those kinds of results would still be there.”
January 2013 — Queen’s University researcher Joshua Kurek, lead author of the 2012 study into oilsands pollution, said: “Our research tells a story of increased contamination and ecological change that has occurred in the region since industrial development of bitumen resources began.”
John Smol, a Queen’s University biology professor who also worked on the study, said: “For a long time, industry and government’s recurring mantra has been, ‘It’s all natural,’ but now we have the smoking gun. I think we can say the PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) that we are recording are not natural, and we can pinpoint them.” Some PAHs have been found to cause cancer in humans and can negatively affect the development and survival of fish.
Jan. 26, 2013 — Travis Davies, a spokesman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, called the Queen’s report “good, peer-reviewed science.”
“The oilsands are a large industrial development and it will have impact on the land and water. We need to identify the issues that are occurring in the environment and better understand the risk.”