Alberta’s environmental monitoring panel to be running by early 2014

EDMONTON – The Alberta government says its long-promised environmental monitoring agency will be up and running by early in the new year.

That’s despite the fact it has no leaders, scientific advisers or permanent funding.

Aboriginal groups say they’ve been left out of the process, and legislation to create the agency hasn’t passed yet.

Alberta Environment official Ernie Hui (wee) says there’s a lot of work to do.

But he says people from industry, academia and the environmental community are already getting involved.

Meetings with First Nations in the oilsands area are scheduled and the government expects to transfer up to $15 million a year to run the agency.

Howard Tennant, who led the advisory panel that led to the agency’s creation, says picking the right person to lead it will be crucial.

He says the U.S. is watching Alberta closely to ensure the monitoring is credible and impartial.