Water Quality

Government action holding oilsands operators to account on tailings management long overdue

Pembina Institute reacts to the Commission on Environmental Cooperation’s finding on oilsands tailings

CALGARY — Nina Lothian, director of responsible fossil fuels at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to the Commission for Environmental Cooperation's final report on Alberta tailings ponds, released Sept. 3, 2020, which found scientific evidence of contaminated water seeping into groundwater around oilsands tailings ponds. Read More

Call for Delegate: Wetlands Monitoring Technical Advisory Committee, Oil Sands Monitoring Program

Initiative: 
Wetlands Monitoring Technical Advisory Committee
Position: 
ENGO Member
Application Deadline: 
8 Nov 2019

In December 2017, the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that renewed each Government’s commitment to monitoring environmental impacts of oil sands development through the Oil Sands Monitoring Program (OSMP). The MOU established the mutual intentions of both governments to continue to collaborate and be accountable for the design and implementation of an integrated monitoring, evaluation and reporting system. It also confirmed the joint commitment to revise and establish, in cooperation with Indigenous Communities in the oil sands region, effective mechanisms for Indigenous participation in the design, implementation and governance of the monitoring system. This includes development of a comprehensive, ongoing agreement (the Operational Framework Agreement, finalized September 21, 2018) that defines the governance and implementation model to guide the decision-making structure and processes, roles and responsibilities, and the monitoring, research mandate, and objectives of the OSMP. Read More

Call for Delegate: Aquatics & Surface Water Monitoring Technical Advisory Committee, Oil Sands Monitoring Program

Initiative: 
Aquatics & Surface Water Monitoring Technical Advisory Committee
Position: 
ENGO Member
Application Deadline: 
8 Nov 2019

In December 2017, the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that renewed each Government’s commitment to monitoring environmental impacts of oil sands development through the Oil Sands Monitoring Program (OSMP). The MOU established the mutual intentions of both governments to continue to collaborate and be accountable for the design and implementation of an integrated monitoring, evaluation and reporting system. It also confirmed the joint commitment to revise and establish, in cooperation with Indigenous Communities in the oil sands region, effective mechanisms for Indigenous participation in the design, implementation and governance of the monitoring system. This includes development of a comprehensive, ongoing agreement (the Operational Framework Agreement, finalized September 21, 2018) that defines the governance and implementation model to guide the decision-making structure and processes, roles and responsibilities, and the monitoring, research mandate, and objectives of the OSMP. Read More

Call for Delegates: Technical Advisory Committees, Oil Sands Monitoring Program

Initiative: 
Technical Advisory Committees
Position: 
ENGO Member
Application Deadline: 
11 Nov 2019

In December 2017, the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that renewed each Government’s commitment to monitoring environmental impacts of oil sands development through the Oil Sands Monitoring Program (OSMP). The MOU established the mutual intentions of both governments to continue to collaborate and be accountable for the design and implementation of an integrated monitoring, evaluation and reporting system. It also confirmed the joint commitment to revise and establish, in cooperation with Indigenous Communities in the oil sands region, effective mechanisms for Indigenous participation in the design, implementation and governance of the monitoring system. This includes development of a comprehensive, ongoing agreement (the Operational Framework Agreement, finalized September 21, 2018) that defines the governance and implementation model to guide the decision-making structure and processes, roles and responsibilities, and the monitoring, research mandate, and objectives of the OSMP. Read More

Canada must assess toxicity of tailings pond chemicals, enviro groups argue

CALGARY – Environmental groups say the Government of Canada is failing to meet its legal responsibilities by exempting tailings pond chemicals from a recent screening assessment.

In a comment letter sent to Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada on behalf of Environmental Defence and Keepers of the Athabasca on Oct. 17, Ecojustice lawyers called on the government to reconsider naphthenic acids from oil sands process-affected water in assessing whether these chemicals should be regulated under law. Read More

AWA Tuesday Talk: Water Quality and Wildlife

May 2 2018 - 1:00am

What do water bug communities tell us about human and natural impacts in the Castle, Kananaskis and Bow Rivers?

How can they help us measure pollutants?

What are the impacts of wastewater on fish?

Do wetlands play an important role for pollinators?

How can we improve public involvement with open data?

Join us for an exploration into these questions as we showcase the results of independent research conducted by Environmental Science students at the University of Calgary! Read More

Location

AWA Cottage School
455 12 Street NW
Calgary , AB

Pembina reacts to Bill 18

New Act is intended to ensure independent environmental monitoring

EDMONTON — Andrew Read, technical and policy analyst at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to the introduction of Bill 18 today in the Alberta Legislature. Read More

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