Evidence of meeting #10 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was health.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I do ask, as well, Ms. Duncan, that you address your questions through the chair.
10:50 a.m.
NDP
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
10:50 a.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Yes, Mr. Chair.
I would like to ask a question of Environment Canada.
Environment Canada has said that they have a monitoring station at Wood Buffalo National Park. I'm wondering if they're considering establishing a monitoring station at Fort Chip. Apparently the scientists have advised that there's a tendency of a concentration of heavy metals more likely in the Athabasca Delta than in the river due to the fine silt. Scientists are finding much higher elevated levels of arsenic, mercury, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the area in the Athabasca Delta, likely due to the fact that the regime is different there.
I'm wondering if Environment Canada could respond to that question.
10:50 a.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
There would be two points to that, Mr. Chair.
On the first point on whether we would be putting in a monitoring station, our authority for water quality monitoring is related to transboundary issues, so we would probably not be putting a station in there.
The other thing is that measuring water quality for some of these substances is difficult. That's why we do have a research study that's looking at sediment and ecotoxicological effects to get an understanding of what the ecosystem impacts are.
If there is time, Dr. Wrona could elaborate.
10:50 a.m.
Acting Director General, Water Science and Technology, Department of the Environment
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. That is one of the headwater regions into the Peace-Athabasca Delta. From our perspective, we are getting baseline information in terms of fundamental water quality parameters going into that system, but we do rely on Alberta Environment and other research efforts that are going on, both within the region and in related areas, to obtain more information on many of the constituents you've talked about.
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
10:50 a.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you for the challenge to make sure we speak through you, Chair, and that all questions go through you.
I'll summarize what I've heard today. It has been actually quite enlightening that there have been no discharges, no leaching of water from the tailings ponds. That water is all reused. It's cleaned and reused in the whole process and 90% of the water is recycled. All the water in the tailings ponds is reused. Drinking water is good and actually safe downstream. That was good to hear. Rare cancers are in the expected ranges. I didn't expect to hear that, so it's good to hear.
I'm also surprised, Chair, to hear that the Liberals are calling for a moratorium on the oil sands. I do have a--
10:50 a.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, just to clarify the record, the Liberals have never called for a moratorium. Mr. Warawa should be judicious in the choice of his words to make sure he does not misrepresent either members' or parties' positions.
Thank you, Chair.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Thank you, Chair.
Mr. McGuinty said that he was trying to get direction from the government, and he was wondering about the CEMA report, and it appeared to me that he was pushing--that the Liberal position was pushing--for a moratorium on the oil sands, so we'll look for further clarification on that.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
We'll review the blues. I think this is more an issue of debate than a point of order.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Thank you, Chair. I appreciate that clarification.
I'd like to ask a question on the baseline and carry on from some of the questioning by Mr. Calkins.
In the summer you have a natural leaching of hydrocarbons into the Athabasca, when the bitumen warms up in the warmer temperatures. We've heard that in the colder temperatures it's like a hockey puck, so it's not naturally leaching to the same degree. So through you to the witnesses, is there testing year-round, and do we find that during the summer months, the warmer months, the amount of natural leaching is higher? And how does that possibly impact the health of Canadians?
10:55 a.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment
I think Dr. Wrona would be well positioned to answer that.
10:55 a.m.
Acting Director General, Water Science and Technology, Department of the Environment
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. Both related to areas near the oil sands but also to natural hydrocarbon deposits.
Beyond that, we have actually done no additional in-field studies looking at fish health effects.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Are there plans to do future water sampling during those months to determine the amount of hydrocarbons in the water?
10:55 a.m.
Acting Director General, Water Science and Technology, Department of the Environment
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.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative