Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Dr. Schindler, you provided incontrovertible evidence that oil sands operations are polluting surface water in the region, more specifically the Athabasca River, which runs north to Fort Chipewyan.
I'd like to ask you about surface water contamination through the water link, and specifically with regard to the tailings ponds. We know tailings ponds leak into groundwater. Shell even said their tailings ponds would leak into the groundwater, but it wouldn't be a long-term problem, I guess because that pollution would be diluted. I think it's called the “dilution is the solution to pollution” approach.
Do you agree that the seepage from the tailings ponds into the groundwater is not a long-term problem because of dilution?