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NORTHERN RIVER BASINS STUDY FACT SHEET BACKGROUND The forest industry expanded rapidly in northern Alberta in the late 1980s. This generated concerns about the ecological threat that increased pulp mill effluents posed to the Peace, Athabasca, and Slave Rivers. These rivers flow north from Alberta to the Northwest Territories. The Northern River Basins Study (NRBS) was a response to those concerns. The study, jointly sponsored by the governments of Canada, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, was initiated in 1992 following an agreement between the governments the previous year. The study was designed to address the ecological concerns about pulp mill expansion, and to increase scientific knowledge about conditions in the major river systems of the north. The study's objectives were to gather and interpret sound scientific information about the basins, develop appropriate recommendations for basin management, and communicate effectively with the public. The study's final report and recommendations were submitted to the three participating governments in 1996. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE On November 6, 1997 the participating governments responded to the NRBS recommendations. The response report integrates the three governments' positions and outlines their future plans for ensuring the long-term environmental protection of the Peace, Athabasca, and Slave Rivers. The response report confirms the governments' commitment to ecosystem sustainability and to pollution control in northern rivers. In addition, the report confirms the governments' commitment to full stakeholder involvement in the future. The report also acknowledges that long-term protection of northern rivers depends on rigorous pollution prevention and control programs for individual sources of water pollution, and watershed-scale management of all practices that affect water quantity and quality. The achievement of these objectives will require an integrated and holistic approach to basin management. MOVING FORWARD The governments of Canada, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories will implement NRBS recommendations through a combination of existing programs and new initiatives. In doing so, the governments will be guided by their respective jurisdictions and legislation. To help ensure that any actions taken are effective and acceptable to basin residents, the participating governments will involve them in the planning process as much as possible. The Mackenzie River Basin Transboundary Waters Master Agreement will address many of the NRBS recommendations. The agreement will establish a Mackenzie River Basin Board (MRBB) and a subsidiary monitoring committee. The monitoring committee will help coordinate and oversee aquatic ecosystem monitoring, especially in transboundary waters. The committee will have the authority to establish expert sub-committees to deal with related items such as hydrology, water quality, and fisheries. The committee will receive technical and scientific support from the participating governments, who will submit monitoring program proposals to the committee for review and feedback. The committee will also ensure public participation in the development of monitoring programs. Because most effluents in the northern basins originate in Alberta, the Government of Alberta will address NRBS 'Pollution Prevention' recommendations primarily through the province's Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. New programs addressing NRBS recommendations will include a Government of Canada national study of endocrine disruption and its effect on aquatic ecosystems, and a Government of Alberta follow-up investigation of PCB contamination identified in the report. The joint federal/provincial studies will further examine key reach-specific issues on the Peace and Athabasca Rivers. First Nations and Métis communities contributed significantly to the NRBS. The governments of Canada, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories recognize that First Nations and Métis peoples have a special relationship with the land, water, and wildlife of the basins. The governments are committed to cooperating with these communities and their representative organizations to address NRBS and First&nbps;Nations recommendations, particularly on drinking water issues. Where appropriate, the governments' response report includes implementation plans and schedules.

Go to NRBS Study

Go to Governments' Response to NRBS

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