Alberta bill creates environmental monitor

Oct. 29, 2013
A bill introduced Oct. 28 in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta would create what sponsors call “an arm’s-length agency” to operate an environmental monitoring program working initially in the oil sands.

A bill introduced Oct. 28 in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta would create what sponsors call “an arm’s-length agency” to operate an environmental monitoring program working initially in the oil sands.

Diana McQueen, minister of environmental and sustainable resource development, introduced the bill, which will create the Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting Agency.

The agency will be responsible for work now done under a joint program of the governments of Canada and Alberta for environmental monitoring of oil sands development. Its work later will expand to encompass province-wide environmental monitoring, evaluation, and reporting as land-use plans are implemented.