
Guilbeault wants stronger links with Alberta on issues of oilsands tailings ponds
Global News
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has repeated his call for a stronger federal presence when it comes to environmental monitoring and communications in the oilsands.
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has repeated his call for a stronger federal presence when it comes to environmental monitoring and communications in the oilsands, following a pair of wastewater releases from Imperial Oil’s Kearl mine in Alberta.
“The reason the federal government is proposing to change the way we do monitoring and communications on the tailings ponds is that in this instance (the current system) didn’t work,” he said Monday.
Guilbeault added Ottawa is considering recommendations from the Mikisew Cree First Nation, which include reforms to environmental monitoring, currently conducted by industry.
“We agree with them. We need a better monitoring system.”
The first release was spotted and reported in May as discoloured water near a tailings pond. It was found to be tailings seepage but no further updates were provided to area First Nations until February, when it was disclosed to the public and federal and provincial environment ministers along with a second release of 5.3 million litres of tailings.
That’s not acceptable, Guilbeault said.
“The system we have in place is failing.”
Guilbeault repeated his plan for a new body with federal, provincial and First Nation members that would meet regularly to share information, especially on environmental emergencies like the Kearl releases.