Ottawa kept in the dark on abnormal fish found in oil sands rivers JOSH WINGROVE EDMONTON— From Friday's Globe and Mail Published Friday, Dec. 17, 2010 3:00AM EST Last updated Friday, Dec. 17, 2010 3:28AM EST
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Hundreds of deformed fish found in rivers running through the Alberta oil sands have been collected and documented by an industry-led monitoring body, The Globe and Mail has learned, but the findings were not shared with the public or key decision makers in government.
That body, the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP), has been criticized in scientific quarters as secretive and is under the scrutiny of three reviews. Former environment minister Jim Prentice ordered one of those reviews after being shown photos this fall of a few malformed fish, and it was delivered Thursday to Environment Canada.
It is not known whether the fish deformities are a natural occurrence or a result of toxic pollution, and the absence of full information is hindering a debate that too often sinks into partisan rhetoric. Although Environment Minister John Baird has not responded to questions about the review, it may provide fresh impetus for Ottawa to wade into how Alberta safeguards its waterways.
The data obtained from RAMP concerns deformed fish pulled from the Athabasca – a cross-border river that is formally under Ottawa’s jurisdiction and flows through the oil sands development area – and the nearby Clearwater. The data reveals that 915 fish with deformities, growths or other abnormalities have been found since 1987. That number is greater than those found in annual reports submitted by RAMP to the province.
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17.12.2010 11:12
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