Geoscience of Climate and Energy 12. Water Quality Issues in the Oil Sands Region of the Lower Athabasca River, Alberta
I summarize the controversies about industrial pollutants in freshwaters near the oil sands industrial area of Alberta, the inadequacies in environmental monitoring that have led to widespread misconceptions, and recent attempts to correct the problems. Adequate data are available to show that mercu...
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ftuninewbrunojs:oai:ojs.journals.lib.unb.ca:article/20409 2023-05-15T15:26:00+02:00 Geoscience of Climate and Energy 12. Water Quality Issues in the Oil Sands Region of the Lower Athabasca River, Alberta Schindler, David W. 2013-10-31 application/pdf text/html https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/20409 eng eng Geological Association of Canada https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/20409/24349 https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/20409/24524 https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/20409 Copyright (c) 2015 Geoscience Canada Geoscience Canada; Volume 40, Number 3 (2013); 202 - 214 1911-4850 0315-0941 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion other 2013 ftuninewbrunojs 2022-07-11T11:48:25Z I summarize the controversies about industrial pollutants in freshwaters near the oil sands industrial area of Alberta, the inadequacies in environmental monitoring that have led to widespread misconceptions, and recent attempts to correct the problems. Adequate data are available to show that mercury, other trace metals, and polycyclic aromatic compounds are being added by industry to the Athabasca river system and its watershed, although the relative contributions of industrial development and natural sources remain in question. Recent improvements in water monitoring by Environment Canada show promise of resolving the controversies, although independent governance for Canada’s and Alberta’s water monitoring programs in the lower Athabasca River will be necessary to rebuild public confidence in the data and their interpretation by government and industry. I document one success story in the Athabasca River: the elimination of dioxins from pulp mills in the mid-1990s has caused a consumption advisory for fish in the river to be repealed.SOMMAIREJe présente ci-dessous un résumé des controverses concernant les polluants industriels dans les eaux douces à proximité de la zone industrielle des sables bitumineux de l'Alberta, des lacunes dans la surveillance des milieux de vie à l’origine d’idées fausses répandues, et de récentes tentatives visant à corriger les problèmes. Des données adéquates démontrent que l’industrie ajoute du mercure et d'autres métaux traces ainsi que des composés aromatiques polycycliques dans le système fluvial de la rivière Athabasca et dans son bassin versant, bien que les contributions relatives provenant de ces activités industrielles et de sources naturelles demeurent toujours en litige. De récentes améliorations apportées au contrôle des eaux par Environnement Canada permettent d’espérer une résolution des controverses, mais l’application d’une gouvernance indépendante des programmes de contrôle de l'eau de l'Alberta du Canada dans la partie inférieure du fleuve Athabasca sera ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Athabasca River Rivière Athabasca University of New Brunswick: Centre for Digital Scholarship Journals Athabasca River Canada Rivière Athabasca ENVELOPE(-110.835,-110.835,58.667,58.667) Geoscience Canada 40 3 202 |
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Open Polar |
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University of New Brunswick: Centre for Digital Scholarship Journals |
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ftuninewbrunojs |
language |
English |
description |
I summarize the controversies about industrial pollutants in freshwaters near the oil sands industrial area of Alberta, the inadequacies in environmental monitoring that have led to widespread misconceptions, and recent attempts to correct the problems. Adequate data are available to show that mercury, other trace metals, and polycyclic aromatic compounds are being added by industry to the Athabasca river system and its watershed, although the relative contributions of industrial development and natural sources remain in question. Recent improvements in water monitoring by Environment Canada show promise of resolving the controversies, although independent governance for Canada’s and Alberta’s water monitoring programs in the lower Athabasca River will be necessary to rebuild public confidence in the data and their interpretation by government and industry. I document one success story in the Athabasca River: the elimination of dioxins from pulp mills in the mid-1990s has caused a consumption advisory for fish in the river to be repealed.SOMMAIREJe présente ci-dessous un résumé des controverses concernant les polluants industriels dans les eaux douces à proximité de la zone industrielle des sables bitumineux de l'Alberta, des lacunes dans la surveillance des milieux de vie à l’origine d’idées fausses répandues, et de récentes tentatives visant à corriger les problèmes. Des données adéquates démontrent que l’industrie ajoute du mercure et d'autres métaux traces ainsi que des composés aromatiques polycycliques dans le système fluvial de la rivière Athabasca et dans son bassin versant, bien que les contributions relatives provenant de ces activités industrielles et de sources naturelles demeurent toujours en litige. De récentes améliorations apportées au contrôle des eaux par Environnement Canada permettent d’espérer une résolution des controverses, mais l’application d’une gouvernance indépendante des programmes de contrôle de l'eau de l'Alberta du Canada dans la partie inférieure du fleuve Athabasca sera ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schindler, David W. |
spellingShingle |
Schindler, David W. Geoscience of Climate and Energy 12. Water Quality Issues in the Oil Sands Region of the Lower Athabasca River, Alberta |
author_facet |
Schindler, David W. |
author_sort |
Schindler, David W. |
title |
Geoscience of Climate and Energy 12. Water Quality Issues in the Oil Sands Region of the Lower Athabasca River, Alberta |
title_short |
Geoscience of Climate and Energy 12. Water Quality Issues in the Oil Sands Region of the Lower Athabasca River, Alberta |
title_full |
Geoscience of Climate and Energy 12. Water Quality Issues in the Oil Sands Region of the Lower Athabasca River, Alberta |
title_fullStr |
Geoscience of Climate and Energy 12. Water Quality Issues in the Oil Sands Region of the Lower Athabasca River, Alberta |
title_full_unstemmed |
Geoscience of Climate and Energy 12. Water Quality Issues in the Oil Sands Region of the Lower Athabasca River, Alberta |
title_sort |
geoscience of climate and energy 12. water quality issues in the oil sands region of the lower athabasca river, alberta |
publisher |
Geological Association of Canada |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/20409 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-110.835,-110.835,58.667,58.667) |
geographic |
Athabasca River Canada Rivière Athabasca |
geographic_facet |
Athabasca River Canada Rivière Athabasca |
genre |
Athabasca River Rivière Athabasca |
genre_facet |
Athabasca River Rivière Athabasca |
op_source |
Geoscience Canada; Volume 40, Number 3 (2013); 202 - 214 1911-4850 0315-0941 |
op_relation |
https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/20409/24349 https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/20409/24524 https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/GC/article/view/20409 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2015 Geoscience Canada |
container_title |
Geoscience Canada |
container_volume |
40 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
202 |
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1766356571478032384 |