The Canadian and Alberta governments have opened a new database on the air, water, land and biodiversity impact of oil sands development that could lead to tougher limits on the industry, federal Environment Minister Peter Kent said Monday.
As the two governments take the next step toward a comprehensive joint monitoring plan in 2015, the new portal will "go beyond speculation and show specifically what environmental impacts are occurring, what danger levels are being approached and could result in political action," he told a conference call from Ottawa.
Kent said the objective of the portal is to "ensure that scientific data from the monitoring activity (started a year ago) is transparent and accessible.
