Oil sands industry polluting Athabasca River, says report

A study to be released today refutes government and industry claims that the Athabasca hasn’t been harmed by oil sands development.

Elevated levels of thirteen toxins, including mercury and lead, have been found in the Athabasca River, according to a study by University of Alberta scientist David Schindler. The government and the oil industry have long said the massive oil sands development in Alberta hasn’t affected the water quality of the river, which is the oil sands project’s largest freshwater source. Schindler found levels of the toxins were higher near industry sites. Pollution of the river is currently regulated by the industry-led Regional Aquatic Monitoring Program, which scientists and the Liberal party have said is ineffective and lacks transparency.