Athabasca: d'où vient la pollution?

Photo: Larry MacDougal

Lundi le 30 août 2010, le Docteur David Schindler rend public un autre rapport qui maintient que l'exploitation des sables bitumineux y sont pour quelque chose dans la pollution de la rivière Athabasca. L'industrie et les gouvernements insistent pour dire que la pollution vient de sources diffuses naturelles.

Pourtant, il est très difficile de ne pas croire l'éminent chercheur qui été le premier à déterminer le rôle du phosphore dans l'eutrophisation des lacs! Je dois ici traduire partiellement la feuille de route de cet éminent professeur si mal connu des francophones.

David Schindler occupe la Chaire Killam Memorial et est professeur en écologie à l'Université de l'Alberta à Edmonton. De 1968 à 1989, il a fondé et a dirigé le projet des lacs expérimentaux pour Pêches et Océan Canada http://www.science.gc.ca/default.asp?Lang=Fr&n=2AF9A497-1 près de Kenora, en Ontario, un projet de recherche multi-disciplinaire sur les effets de l'eutrophisation, les pluies acides, les éléments radio-actifs et les changements climatiques sur les écosystèmes de la région boréale. Son travail a servi de base pour légiférer de manière écologiquement responsable au Canada, aux États-Unis et en Europe. Depuis, ses travaux se penchent sur la pêche responsable dans les lacs en milieu montagneux, la biomagnification des composés organochlorés dans la chaîne alimentaire, les effets des changements climatiques et les rayons UV sur les lacs, ainsi que les bilans (cycles) mondiaux du carbone et de l'azote. Le Docteur Schindler enseigne la limnologie, la philosophie, la sociologie et les politiques de la science et les politiques publiques au Canada ainsi que les prises de décisions environnementales.

Le Docteur David Schindler est reconnu mondialement pour sa recherche sur les effets nocifs des pluies acides et des détergents contenant du phosphore sur l'eau douce. Depuis les 10 dernières années, lui et ses étudiants se penchent sur les effets des dérangements anthropiques sur les lacs alpins: il s'attarde sur la gérance des pêches dans les lacs de montagne et surtout sur la restauration des lakes affectés par l'introduction d'espèces exotiques.

Le Docteur David Schindler a reçu le prix Stockholm Water Prize, le prix Volvo International Environment Prize, la médaille International Society of Limnology's Naumann-Thienemann Medal, la médaille American Association of Limnology and Oceanography's Hutchinson Medal et la Médaille d'or Gerhard Herzberg en sciences et en génie du Canada du Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada.

Il me semble qu'à choisir entre le discours de l'industrie, les excuses du Gouvernement de l'Alberta et ce Docteur David Schindler, je n'hésite pas longtemps! À chaque intervention médiatique du Dr Schindler, j'ai senti un homme convaincu, dédié et sans détours. "A man after my own heart"!Photo: waterunderfire.com

"Elevated levels of toxins found in Athabasca River - Finding refutes long-standing claims that water quality hasn’t been affected by oil sands development

A study set to be published on Monday has found elevated levels of mercury, lead and eleven other toxic elements in the oil sands’ main fresh water source, the Athabasca River, refuting long-standing government and industry claims that water quality there hasn’t been affected by oil sands development. The author of the study, University of Alberta biological scientist David Schindler, criticized the province and industry for an “absurd” system that obfuscates or fails to discover essential data about the river. “I think they [the findings] are significant enough that they should trigger some interest in a better monitoring program than we have,” he said.

The study, to be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found the oil industry “releases” all 13 of the United States' Environmental Protection Agency’s so-called priority pollutants, including mercury and lead, into the Athabasca at concentrations that are higher near industry during the summer. In winter, before a melt, only levels of mercury, nickel and thallium were elevated near industry

Overall levels of seven elements – mercury, lead, cadmium, copper, nickel, silver and zinc – exceed those recommended by Alberta or Canada for the protection of aquatic life, it said, concluding the “oil sands industry substantially increases loadings” of toxins into the river."

Excerpts from article written by Josh Wingrove in The Globe and Mail here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/elevated-levels-of-toxins-found-in-athabasca-river/article1689578/

Hard to justify government and industry rebuttal when Dr Schindler's credentials come to mind:

"David Schindler, Killam Memorial Professor of Ecology at the University of Alberta, is internationally recognized for his research on the harmful effects that acid rain and phosphorous-rich detergents have on fresh water. For the past decade, he and his students have been examining the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on alpine lakes. His current research interests include the study of fisheries management in mountain lakes, the biomagnification of organochlorines in food chains, effects of climate change and UV radiation on lakes, and global carbon and nitrogen budgets. He is particularly interested in the restoration of lakes suffering damage due to the introduction of alien species. In recent years he has earned significant accolades, including the Stockholm Water Prize, the Volvo International Environment Prize, the International Society of Limnology's Naumann-Thienemann Medal, the American Association of Limnology and Oceanography's Hutchinson Medal, and most recently, the NSERC Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal for Science and Engineering." Source: The Banff Center: http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/mtnconferences/eesma/bio/schindler.htm

or the University of Alberta's own bio on Dr Schindler's:

"David Schindler is Killam Memorial Chair and Professor of Ecology at the University of Alberta, Edmonton. From 1968 to 1989, he founded and directed the Experimental Lakes Project of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans near Kenora, Ontario, conducting interdisciplinary research on the effects of eutrophication, acid rain, radioactive elements and climate change on boreal ecosystems. His work has been widely used in formulating ecologically sound management policy in Canada, the USA and in Europe. His current research interests include the study of fisheries management in mountain lakes, the biomagnification of organochlorines in food chains, effects of climate change and UV radiation on lakes, and global carbon and nitrogen budgets. Dr. Schindler teaches limnology, the philosophy, sociology and politics of science/science and public policy in Canada, and environmental decision making." Source: http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/faculty/mark_boyce/?Page=1023

Who are you going to believe, the industry, the Alberta government or this David Schindler? (A man after my own heart, by the way!)