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.
It would also discuss cleaning up tailings releases, how to keep the vast toxic ponds contained and long-term solutions for them — proposals contained in a letter Guilbeault sent last week to his provincial counterpart, Sonya Savage.
"We would find processes where everyone gets the information in a timely, transparent and accurate manner," he said. "No one has to find out months later something has been going on."
Guilbeault said he also wants the body to look at reform of water monitoring in the area.
"Many would feel relieved if monitoring was done in an independent manner."
Billy-Joe Tuccaro, chief of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, said Guilbeault promised as much in a meeting.
"They promised to increase the monitoring program," he said.
Alberta's current $50-million, industry-funded monitoring program hasn't had a budget increase in a decade. The program has been criticized by its own scientists for being good at collecting data but bad at doing anything with it.
In public statements, Savage has agreed to the need to look at communication between the two levels of government as well as long-term solutions to oilsands tailings, which cover in total 300 square kilometres and hold 1.4 trillion litres of toxic tailings.
Guilbeault said Savage seems open to dialogue.
Meanwhile, Tuccaro said drinking water for the community of Fort Chipewyan, promised by Ottawa, has started to arrive. The water is being shared with all First Nations potentially affected by the spill, he said.
But Tuccaro said Ottawa has yet to approve his band's long-standing request for a long-term community health study in the community of Fort Chipewyan.
"They haven't committed to a community health study," he said. "That's a big one."
Tuccaro said comments from Imperial and the provincial government that there have been no impacts to water or wildlife do not reassure his community.
"They couldn't even tell us (the seepage) is being contained," he said. "We want it 100 per cent contained."
Guilbeault said officials from Imperial Oil and the Alberta Energy Regulator will be invited to appear before the House of Commons environment and sustainable development committee.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2023.
CTV News has declared a number of seats across the province as election results begin to take shape Monday night.
In Alberta today, the United Conservative Party is looking to win a second consecutive majority government while the NDP is fighting to regain the office it lost in 2019.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
Overall health-care costs could be reduced in Canada by providing free prescription drugs to patients, according to a new study.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
In Alberta today, the United Conservative Party is looking to win a second consecutive majority government while the NDP is fighting to regain the office it lost in 2019.
CTV News has declared a number of seats across the province as election results begin to take shape Monday night.
One long-time electoral tradition came to an end on election day, when Postmedia announced there would be no printed newspaper announcing the winner in Calgary.
The Blades drafted Benjamin Bowtell in the sixth round of the 2023 Bantam Draft back in April.
A memorial, featuring bouquets and a "ghost bike" now stands at the intersection where a Saskatoon teacher was killed last week.
In a province where there are vast distances between cities and towns, one local group is hoping to get public support for an idea to bridge those gaps with a rail line.
The first twister of 2023 in the country touched down near Regina over the weekend, according to an analysis from the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
Weyburn and Fillmore RCMP are at the scene of a serious collision involving multiple vehicles on Highway 13 about 16 kilometres east of Weyburn.
One person from Estevan, Sask. is dead and another is seriously injured following a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on May 28 near Fortuna, North Dakota.
Officials say a wildfire that began in the Upper Tantallon, N.S., area Sunday afternoon is ongoing and still not under control.
Roughly 450 homes have been evacuated in Shelburne County as a wildfire burns out of control over thousands of hectares.
Pictures from across Nova Scotia highlight the destruction brought on by two wildfires that are burning out of control in the province.
The Pride Progress flag will not be flying next month outside the York Catholic Education Centre.
New information has emerged about the fatal shooting of an engaged couple fleeing their landlord after a dispute near Hamilton, Ont.
An Ontario woman is on the hook for nearly $9,000 in damages after her uninsured car was hit while stored in a parking lot.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
Montreal recorded its first 30-degree temperature of the year on Sunday, and the city could see three more days in the 30s later this week.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
Ottawa police are praising a local dad for quickly calling for help Sunday afternoon when he accidentally locked his keys in his car, and his infant child along with them.
Ontario Provincial Police say a driver from Augusta Township is facing an impaired driving charge after someone on Highway 416 spotted a vehicle moving erratically.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
The death of an OPP officer Monday morning adds to a growing list of Ontario police officers who have died while on-duty in the past few months.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
An Ontario Provincial Police officer and a school bus driver are dead after a violent crash north of Woodstsock Monday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
One person is in critical condition after hitting a moose on Highway 69 in Greater Sudbury on Friday night, police say.
Winnipeg police say the driver of a motorcycle is in stable condition after a serious crash that shut down a section of Lagimodiere Boulevard.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
The widow of a man who died trying to save a dog from drowning in West Vancouver is remembering her husband as a brave man with endless compassion.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
Conservation officers have captured and killed six cougars near Victoria this year in response to multiple predatory attacks on sheep farms.
Saanich police are on the lookout for a man who allegedly stole a pricey wheel of cheese from a grocery store last month.
Capital Bike is encouraging Greater Victoria residents to choose cycling as a way to get around the region during "Go By Bike Week," which runs from May 29 to June 4.
