Report warns of oilsands impacts on groundwater

The Suncor oilsands mine near Fort McMurray,.

Photograph by: Bruce Edwards

Water Matters Alberta writes: "We warned about groundwater impacts and risks last year in our Drilling Down Report"

Report warns of oilsands impacts on groundwater

By Karen Kleiss,

Edmonton Journal

August 28, 2012

EDMONTON - Thousands of people depend on the water below Alberta’s oilsands region, but the effects of industrial development on those water tables is not yet fully understood, a new report says.

The Cumulative Environmental Management Association released a 37-page report Tuesday that explains groundwater in the region, and warns that lower water levels and poor quality could have “far-reaching consequences.”

“The cumulative effects of mining and in-situ operations on regional groundwater are not fully understood, so more data are needed ... to understand the quality and supply status of groundwater,” the report says.

Changes in groundwater “may be a concern for fish and fish habitat, wildlife, and water supply needs for a range of local uses,” the report says, adding that “the potential effects of lower water levels and poor water health on the harvest of traditional resources could have far-reaching consequences on the health, culture, and social and economic well-being of First Nations and Métis communities.”

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