"Canada Vows Stricter Look At Oil Sands Pollution"

"Canada said on Tuesday it will design a system to better monitor whether northern Alberta's huge oil sands projects are polluting waterways after an independent scientific panel found major flaws in the current monitoring system.

Environment Minister John Baird made the announcement after the panel reported "there was no evidence of science leadership to ensure that monitoring and research activities are planned and performed in a coordinated way."

Ottawa set up the scientific panel in September after an academic report concluded oil sands plants were sending toxins, including mercury, arsenic and lead, into the watershed. The report also attacked the credibility of a government-supported and industry-funded water-monitoring agency."

David Ljunggren reports for Reuters December 22, 2010.