Oil sands monitoring documents and reports

Key documents

• 2018 Oil sands monitoring program Letter of Agreement and Operational Framework
• 2017 Memorandum of Understanding between Canada and Alberta on oil sands monitoring
• Joint oil sands monitoring external expert peer review of scientific integrity - Executive summary

Annual reports, work plans and implementation plans

• 2016 to 2019 annual reports
• 2014 to 2016 annual reports
• Joint Canada-Alberta implementation plan for oil sands monitoring (2013 to 2014)
• 2014 to 2015 Third annual report
• 2013 to 2014 Second annual report
• 2012 to 2013 First annual report
• Joint Canada-Alberta implementation plan for oil sands monitoring (2012-2015)

Technical report series

• 1.1 Synthesis report for the water component, Canada-Alberta Joint Oil Sands Monitoring: key findings and recommendations
• 1.2 Atmospheric deposition to the Athabasca oil sands region using snowpack measurements and dated lake sediment cores
• 1.3 Surface water quality of Lower Athabasca River tributaries
• 1.4 Surface water quality of the Athabasca, Peace and Slave rivers and riverine waterbodies within the Peace-Athabasca delta
• 1.5 Assessments of groundwater influence on selected river systems in the oil sands region of Alberta
• 1.6 Regional hydro-climate and sediment modelling
• 1.7 Assessing ecosystem health in benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages of the Athabasca River main stem, tributaries and Peace-Athabasca delta
• 1.8 Aquatic ecosystem health assessment of the Athabasca River mainstem and tributaries using fish health and fish and invertebrate toxicological testing
• 2.0 Rationalizing and optimizing the water quality monitoring network in the oil sands
• 3.0 Summary, evaluation and integration of atmospheric deposition monitoring in the Athabasca oil sands region
• 4.0 Current and emerging methods for satellite monitoring of the oil sands
• 5.0 Hierarchical clustering network analysis of ambient air monitoring in Alberta – phases 1 and 2
• 7.1 Oil Sands Monitoring Program: Integration workshop reports (Part 1 of 2)
• 7.2 Oil Sands Monitoring Program: Recommendation report (Part 2 of 2)

Integrated oil sands environment monitoring plan

• Analysis of current and historical surface water monitoring programs and activities in the Athabasca oil sands area, to 2011 (2013)

  A compilation of water-related monitoring programs and activities in the Athabasca oil sands area prior to the Joint Canada-Alberta implementation plan for oil sands monitoring.

• Existing and historical water monitoring in the phase 2 geographic expansion area, to 2011 (2013)

  A compilation of water-related monitoring programs and activities in the Expanded Geographic Extent prior to the Joint Canada-Alberta implementation plan for oil sands monitoring.

• An integrated oil sands environment monitoring plan (2011)

  An outline of key principles for the design and implementation of a “world-class” monitoring program (Federal Oil Sands Advisory Panel)

• Lower Athabasca water quality monitoring plan phase 1 (2011)

  Focus on the physical and chemical attributes of water quality in the mainstem of the Athabasca River, and its major tributaries, between Fort McMurray and the Wood Buffalo National Park boundary.  

• Expanded geographic extent for water quality and quantity, aquatic biodiversity and effects, and acid sensitive lake component (2011)

  Outlines integrated aquatic monitoring activities that include expanded geographic coverage of relevant watersheds as well as related media-specific (air, water, land, biota) aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem components.  

• Terrestrial biodiversity component (2011)

  Outlines the activities for monitoring the impacts of oil sands-related contaminants on selected wildlife indicators and the impact of habitat disturbance and mitigation on terrestrial biodiversity.

• Air quality component (2011)

  Focus on the monitoring needs required to understand air pollutant emissions, their chemical transformation in the atmosphere, long-range transport and subsequent deposition to the local and regional environment.

Federal advisory panel report

• A foundation for the future: building an environmental monitoring system for the oil sands (2010)

  Conclusions and recommendations presented by  advisory panel to ensure scientific issues would be effectively address when implementing an environmental monitoring system for the oil sands.