Environmental organizations and Indigenous groups ask when monitoring of oilpatches will resume - Punjabi

RADIO - Red FM 106.7 The Evening Show - Calgary, 05/06/2020 - COMMENTARY, Punjabi

Image Source: cbc.ca

Summary Translation: Monica Oberoi - Since the emergence of COVID-19, the monitoring of oilpatches has stopped in Alberta. The monitoring is conducted to determine how much smoke is being produced, to ascertain the need for repairs if greenhouse gas methane is leaking, and so on. Some First Nations and seven environmental groups have written a letter to the Energy and Environment Ministries asking when they will restart the oilpatch monitoring that had been suspended because of COVID-19. The Pembina Institute, a clean energy think tank, said that they want to know when monitoring will be restored. Last month, the province's energy regulator suspended environmental monitoring requirements. The regulator said the decision was made in order to protect workers from COVID-19. The NDP's Rachel Notley had even asked then for the decision to be changed because this would stop foreign investment in the energy sector. She also said that while it was considered acceptable for workers to work closely in plants, it was strange that experts' testing of air and water was not considered safe. Foreign investment will not come in if monitoring is not done regularly.