Alberta should create oilsands commission: panel
Alberta should create an arm's-length commission to monitor the environmental impact of oilsands development, an independent panel told the provincial government in a report released Tuesday.
The work would need to be "science-based and science-led," said Howard Tennant, one of the panel's leaders and a former president of the University of Lethbridge. "This is extremely important if we want to make sure that measuring, recording, reporting and interpreting actually takes place," Tennant told reporters.
"The Alberta government has been forced to take this first step, but we now expect it to take the next step and actually start living up to its responsibilities to protect Alberta's communities, waterways and wildlife from tar sands pollution. It is time for this government's track record of failure on environmental stewardship to end."
Alberta Liberal environment critic Laurie Blakeman said she's skeptical about the creation of a monitoring commission. "The length of these arms is determined by the government, who controls who is on the board, how much funding the agency receives and how the agency does its work. Then, when something goes wrong, the government stands back and blames the agency."
NDP MLA Rachel Notley says the commission would create a new layer of bureaucracy and will not guarantee action to protect the environment. "They talk about the importance of science leading the process, but recommend a new body where scientists are relegated to an advisory role under a board of Tory-appointed business friends," Notley said.
CTV Calgary- Alberta should create oilsands commission: panel - CTV News
Alberta should create an arm's-length commission to monitor the environmental impact of oilsands development, an independent panel told the provincial government in a report released Tuesday.
The work would need to be "science-based and science-led," said Howard Tennant, one of the panel's leaders and a former president of the University of Lethbridge. "This is extremely important if we want to make sure that measuring, recording, reporting and interpreting actually takes place," Tennant told reporters.
"The Alberta government has been forced to take this first step, but we now expect it to take the next step and actually start living up to its responsibilities to protect Alberta's communities, waterways and wildlife from tar sands pollution. It is time for this government's track record of failure on environmental stewardship to end."
Alberta Liberal environment critic Laurie Blakeman said she's skeptical about the creation of a monitoring commission. "The length of these arms is determined by the government, who controls who is on the board, how much funding the agency receives and how the agency does its work. Then, when something goes wrong, the government stands back and blames the agency."
NDP MLA Rachel Notley says the commission would create a new layer of bureaucracy and will not guarantee action to protect the environment. "They talk about the importance of science leading the process, but recommend a new body where scientists are relegated to an advisory role under a board of Tory-appointed business friends," Notley said.
CTV Calgary- Alberta should create oilsands commission: panel - CTV News
