H2oil Page #2

there are problems

with fish.

This one has a large

cyst on the side.

You are doing this

by putting stuff in the river.

They must provide us with an address

where we can send you samples

to show you the results of

your actions on the fish.

How can you

send them the fish?

I called and talked

with some Dan.

I said, "How am I supposed

to send it?"

He said,

Preserve it in formaldehyde.

I don't have anything like that.

In my opinion,

government of

Alberta has no clue

as to the state of the

Athabasca River.

They continue to give

permits for water licence,

for projects that requires

to use millions

of cubic meters

of water per project.

The people in the community

believe there is clearly

a problem with water.

Many of our people

dying of rare cancers

according to our doctor,

should not exist here

There are so many

for such a small community.

Naturally, local authorities

were forced

to investigate,

independent of those

Government and Industry

because all their studies

say that everything is fine here.

But when they bury

That's incredible.

We must do something.

I'm afraid

that the meeting tonight

will confirm our fears.

Because many people

who died of cancer

are people who eat

traditional food regularly.

It's very frustrating.

This meeting was

organised for you,

members of the community.

I'm glad

that you came.

Let me introduce you

Dr. Kevin Timoney.

He will take the floor.

Thank you.

Then, as Donna said,

some people in the community

concerned about the quality

of the water and sediment

and the presence of contaminants

in the environment

and that this may be related

disease in the community.

A quick overview of

what found..

In the water

the folling things sometimes

a cause for concern

in terms of their high levels:

arsenic, aluminum,

chromium, cobalt, copper, iron.

These are all heavy metals.

Lead, phosphorus,

selenium, titanium, phenol.

In sediments, the things of

most concern are arsenic,

cadmium,

PAHs and resin acids.

The level of mercury

found in fish

is very worrying for

human consumption.

Overall,

three contaminants

the are most disturbing

are arsenic, PAHs

and mercury.

Yes, Jackson?

You say that the fish

have a lot of mercury

and all sorts of diseases,

but have you checked the rats

musk and the beavers?

They also live in water.

Don't they have these things too?

It's a good question

and I wish I had

more information on that.

Many trappers have told me

they are finding musk

rats with bloody noses.

They also said

that the burrows smell of oil.

I think that needs to be

studied.

There is much controversy

surrounding the presence of arsenic

in water and animals.

A few years ago,

Suncor completed a study that revealed

that if you eat the moose,

fish and berries,

there will be between 312 and 453

additional cancer cases

per 100 000 inhabitants.

When those results

were released

Minister of Health

and Wellness of Alberta

commissioned a second

study ehich concluded

that the first study

was unreliable,

and that you did not

need to worry

and the actual arsenic level

was much lower.

In short, they concluded that the cases

additional cancer

would range from 17 to

But both studies conclude

the number of cancer cases

which is 1 in 100,000.

are considered acceptable.

I then reviewed the report

which claimed that arsenic

level was no problem.

I discovered

that the report

was based on

questionable statistical methods

and assumptions.

They underestimated the levl

of arsenic in water,

there were errors

in their data.

They underestimated

the amount of fish

people eat in

Fort Chipewyan.

I would conclude

that since the water and sediment

in your area have a

high arsenic content,

and there is a link

evident between arsenic

and diseases affecting

your community.

This is a red flag item

that really needs

to be studied in depth.

I am not sure I'd

use the word "cover-up"

but it is surely

something like that.

I would say that the government

and industry have data

which indicate that there is a problem

and that they are not telling

you about it.

Is that a cover-up?

I suppose you could say that.

Does your department

investigate all the deformities

in the fish and those kinds

of things that

the native of FortChipewyan

are talking about?

No,

not directly.

What we're doing is

continuing our responsibility

to monitor water quality.

Occasional deformities

which were found

are not restricted to

the Athabasca River.

Dr. Timoney used Official's

data in his report

but the government

Alberta maintains

the oil sands development does not

cause any serious problem.

But Dr. Timoney, like many others,

remains concerned about the

growing presence of chemicals

called policyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons or PAHs.

It is well established

that PAHs cause cancer

and other

of vascular disorders,

kidney problems,

liver and skin damage.

They have an interesting

synergetic effect with arsenic.

We know that arsenic is

a powerful carcinogen

and is associated with certain types

cancer seen in Fort Chipewyan.

The combination of arsenic

and PAHs may increase

carcinogenic effects

And it is precisely

what is found in water,

in the sediment of

the river and Delta.

Some independent reports,

there is a presence

of arsenic and PAHs.

Should we then make

more studies on the subject?

When people have concerns

in relation to their health

whether real or not,

we must take that into account.

So we're going to continue

the studies and monitoring

just to reassure them.

But there is no spill

of wastewater into the Athabasca

our monitiring information

tells us

there is no additional contaminants

They talk about arsenic,

but the levels were still

within the guidelines.

They talk about mercury.

It is at natural levels.

The oil sands outcrop

into the river naturally.

If you take a boatride in summer

you will see seepage

on the river bank.

It is obvious that water

downlstream from the oil sands

will carry some PAHs

that may not be found

in other rivers

because there isn'tany

hydrocarbons entering.

But that's natural.

Some of the under the table things

that have happened with the

response to

Dr. Timoney's report.

reveals the same thing:

The level of mercury

always been high there.

This is not really

the name of the game.

Sure, they probably were high

but are they higher since

we've been mining?

His report says, he found an

increase in PAH over time.

They claim that it is

all shifting bottom sediment.

,

It's a coincidence.

It's happened at four sites.

To me that is a coincidence in the same way

like flipping "heads" on

a coin 4 times.

It's wonderful to see so

many from Ontario

Quebec, Manitoba,

from the East and Alberta.

We are at the point where

the sector is about to grow up.

Over the 25 years prior to 1990,

Oil Sands

were only speculations,

and an opportunity to show

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