By Canadian Press

First Nations, environmentalists ask for restart of oilpatch monitoring

Jun 4, 2020 | 1:38 PM

EDMONTON — Seven environmental and Indigenous groups are asking the Alberta government to restart monitoring in the province’s oilpatch as soon as possible.

Most requirements for energy companies to monitor the soil, water and air around their projects were suspended in late May.

The Alberta Energy Regulator said the move was made over health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter to Alberta’s Enviroment and Energy departments, the signatories ask the government to confirm monitoring will resume as soon as possible, as many businesses already have.

They also want the government to make public the conditions for a restart.

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The letter says a lengthy suspension would hurt Alberta’s energy industry and reduce jobs in the sector.

The letter was signed by three First Nations, two environmental groups, the Environmental Law Centre and the Pembina Institute, a  clean-energy think tank.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2020

The Canadian Press