Environment committee  Within the oil sands area, we actually have only one study, which was conducted under the northern rivers ecosystem initiative. It looked at the potential effects of natural hydrocarbon deposits and seepage on fish health. We used wild fish populations that occurred in the regions, and in fact, in that study, which was published in 2003 and scientifically peer reviewed, we indicated that we did see both hydrocarbon exposure in natural fish populations and elevated stress activities in these fish.

Environment committee  Most of the water sampling that is done in those reaches is done by Alberta Environment, and we would have to verify and determine what their plans are in terms of taking those types of samples.

Environment committee  We have been conducting studies in the area related to contamination and we've done toxicological work in terms of sediment toxicology in other areas. Regarding the monitoring station that you're referring to, the position of that monitoring station before Wood Buffalo National Park was because it was entering a federal national park and we were concerned about the types of water quality that were going into that particular area.

Environment committee  We have had studies actually quantifying the amount of both naturally occurring and other industrial-related contaminants in that system. The monitoring of many of those is done by the Province of Alberta. As I mentioned, we have one water quality station near Wood Buffalo National Park that looks at standard nutrient and other water quality parameters.

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Our department has been involved in numerous technical studies since the early 1990s involving quantification of the ecological state, contaminant levels, and sources of contamination in the Athabasca system. As the committee members know, the Athabasca River flows through a geographic area with multiple developments and municipalities.

Environment committee  Thank you. With respect to the kinds of activities we've been doing in the region, since 1991 in a number of our technical studies and other initiatives we certainly have been working at the issue of source water quality in the basin.

Environment committee  We participate in processes such as RAMP, but we have our own work that we do. We have monitoring stations. We do actually have one Environment Canada water quality monitoring station right at the Wood Buffalo National Park site. A lot of water quality monitoring within the basin itself is actually done by the Province of Alberta, and those data are publicly and freely made available to us.