By Noemi Lopinto
APTN National News
EDMONTON–Environment Minister Jim Prentice said Friday his department would review how pollutants are monitored on the Athabasca River.
Prentice was reacting to images of deformed fish that were put on display Thursday by a group of scientists, First Nations and municipal leaders along with those who made a living fishing the Athabasca River.
The group said they believed tar sands development in Alberta was deforming fish in the Athabasca River.
In an interivew with CBC News, Prentice said the fish images were disturbing and he would be asking his department to “get to the bottom” of the situation.
“I intend to get to the bottom of that and make sure that we have a first-class, state-of-the-art monitoring system in place,” Prentice said.
The tar sands development in Alberta is deforming fish in the Athabasca River, according to a group including scientists, First Nations and municipal leaders along with those who made a living fishing on the river.
The deformed fish were on display at the University of Alberta as proof of tar sands impact on surrounding waters.
