Lower Athabasca Water Monitoring Program

I am pleased to be here today to release our plan for the Lower Athabasca Water Quality Monitoring Program.

The plan proposes a design for monitoring water quality along the main stem of the Athabasca River and its major tributaries, from Fort McMurray to the boundary of Wood Buffalo National Park.

Let's be clear: this plan to enhance surface water monitoring in and around the Athabasca River is a first step, not the end of our effort.

When it comes to science, meaningful results typically come from a sequence of well-designed, small, deliberate measures. Getting the science right might not always be particularly glamorous or dramatic, but it's absolutely essential We are committed to taking actions and making decisions based on science, not politics or public relations.

The foundation for the environmentally responsible development of the oil sands needs to be based on strong science.

This plan gets the science right.

This plan outlines a strategy to take measurements more frequently, in more places, to ensure sufficient data is available to track changes in water quality; it will link with other monitoring like air and biodiversity to ensure a holistic view of environmental quality.

It outlines an adaptive approach, so monitoring and data interpretation can continuously improve. It proposes to assess cumulative effects so that the environmental quality is maintained within desired levels. And all data will be publically available and accessible to all Canadians.

This plan is the first step towards an improved surface water monitoring program. This will take time, but we are on track, and are committed to getting it right. We have already begun work on monitoring plans for air quality and biodiversity. Our monitoring, research and other actions rise to the challenge of protecting the environment and ensuring the responsible development of the oil sands.