Community calls for study of fish deformities near Alberta oil sands
A group of Aboriginals and scientists gathered today in Edmonton to reveal what they say is evidence that the Alberta oil sands are wreaking havoc on wildlife. White fish from Lake Athabasca, which is downstream from the oil sands, were discovered with golf-balled sized tumours and incomplete spines, or were discoloured, covered in lesions, or otherwise deformed. Understandably, “a lot of people are afraid to eat fish from the lake,” says one man from nearby Fort Chipewyan. A letter has been sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper requesting that formal monitoring be done on the lake and its inhabitants. Previous research, including one study by Environment Canada in 2007, recognized the fish deformities, and questioned the safety of the water due to contamination.