By The Canadian Press

Environmental monitoring for oilsands slashed in Alberta – Federal Government deal

Aug 4, 2020 | 5:56 AM

EDMONTON – Alberta and the federal government have signed an agreement that makes major cuts to environmental monitoring of the oilsands.

The deal, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press, lays out research plans for this year’s field season for a joint federal-provincial program.

It shows that overall funding has been cut by at least one-quarter to no more than 44-million dollars this year from 58-million dollars in 2019.

No field studies are to be done on the main branch of the Athabasca River – or on wetlands, fish or insects.

The head of one outside agency that does work for the monitoring program says he was told the cuts were to keep workers safe from COVID-19.

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Jim Herbers of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute says field monitoring is the biggest part of what’s not going to get done.

Neither government responded to requests for comment.

Marlin Schmidt, environment critic for Alberta’s N-D-P Opposition, says the decision fails to protect the environment and further hurts the oilsands industry’s international reputation.