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. In that basin we have pulp and paper development, forestry, oil sands development, and other activities.
The studies we've been involved in, along with other departmental colleagues and university collaborators over the years, have improved our understanding of baseline conditions of these particular types of contaminants. Over the years, through our research efforts and the various monitoring programs, we have seen improvements in levels of contamination, particularly related to processes such as pulp and paper development in the area, and so on.
The complication we have related to the oil sands was mentioned. We have conducted research as part of these initiatives, trying to assess the role of natural hydrocarbons and the effects on the environment, as opposed to ones that are from actual oil sands activities. We published some preliminary results in this vein in 2003 and during the northern rivers ecosystem initiative, showing the potential effects of natural hydrocarbons on fish health and ecosystem health.