International panel to conduct Science Integrity Review of three-year Joint Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring plan

EDMONTON, June 18, 2015 /CNW/ - An expert panel has been established by the Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting Agency (AEMERA) and Environment Canada to conduct an external peer review to evaluate the extent to which the implementation of the Joint Canada-Alberta Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM) has improved the scientific integrity of environmental monitoring in the oil sands since the launch of JOSM in 2012.

The panel, chaired by Dr. Philip Hopke of Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, is composed of international and national scientists who will assess the rigour of the science for oil sands monitoring, transparency, and the use of internationally recognized standards and protocols.

The members of the external expert peer review panel are:

			Philip K. Hopke, Ph.D. (Chair)
			Bayard D. Clarkson Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering,
			Director, Center for Air Resources Engineering and Sciences,
			Director, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University (United States)
			Prof. Alan Jenkins, Ph.D.
			Deputy Director of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH)
			Director, Water & Pollution Science, CEH (United Kingdom)
			Visiting Professor in Hydrochemical Modelling, Department of Geography, University College London (United Kingdom)
			Douglas H. Johnson, Ph.D.
			Research Statistician and Senior Scientist, retired, United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
			Adjunct Professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota (United States)
			Prof. Jana Klánová, Ph.D.
			Full Professor, Faculty of Science, Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment,
			Director, Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment,
			Head of the Division of Environmental Chemistry and Modeling, Masaryk University (Czech Republic)
			X. Chris Le, Ph.D.
			Distinguished University Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology,
			Director, Division of Analytical & Environmental Toxicology, University of Alberta (Canada)
			Canada Research Chair in Bioanalytical Technology and Environmental Health
			Gerald J. Niemi, Ph.D.
			Senior Research Associate, Centre for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute,
			Professor, Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth (United States)

The panel will deliver its final report this fall, which will, in part, help determine the next steps on the oil sands monitoring design and implementation.

SOURCE AEMERA

Image with caption: "AEMERA (CNW Group/AEMERA)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150618_C9677_PHOTO_EN_43576.jpg

Val Mellesmoen
AEMERA
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