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Testing shows oilsands have a minor effect on wildlife

Last Updated Oct 20, 2018 at 5:10 pm MDT

PHOTO. The Mikisew Cree and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations provide vital knowledge to help guide ECCC Wildlife Toxicologist Phil Thomas’s scientific work. Credit: Environment and Climate Change Canada

Wildlife near the oilsands is seeing some effect from industry pollution according to a wildlife toxicologist.

Wildlife Toxicologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada Dr. Phillipe Thomas has been working alongside Alberta Trappers Association, Alberta Conservation Association and others that are “tied to the land” studying the effects of industry pollutants on wildlife in Alberta since 2012.

Thomas travelled to Fort Chipewyan earlier this year and worked with Cree, Dene and Metis communities to decide which species to monitor along with when and where monitoring should be done.

He said the team doesn’t just look at the overall health of the animals, but what they eat, drink and their lives in general to get a better sense of possible sources they should focus on.

He said although there are “signature” contaminants found to be coming from our region, the levels in the animals aren’t high enough to worry.

Levels will continue to be monitored to see if they rise enough to trigger the need to create a mitigation plan.

“It certainly speaks to the importance of ongoing monitoring and continued work with our partners and our collaborators to determine whether or not things are trending upwards or downwards. So, those pollutant levels in wildlife are they going up or are they coming down and when they go up then that triggers a whole suite of mitigation measures and conversations with industry and with other partners to try to come up with mitigation measures that might help in fixing the problem.”

Findings are shared with provincial partners to determine if levels could pose a risk to human health, especially for those who consume the wildlife since health effects from exposure to the compounds found in the animals aren’t known.

Thomas’ work in Fort Chipewyan has been highlighted in a five-part video series done with Environment and Climate Change Canada.