"Is the oilsands industry the most environmentally destructive project on earth, as has been suggested by some media and declared critics of the industry?" asks the Royal Society of Canada. "Based on our review of the publicly accessible evidence, a claim of such global magnitude is not accurate."

Wednesday's report by the Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel titled "Environmental and Health Impacts of Canada's Oil Sands Industry" is a sharp knife through the rhetoric that we are accustomed to hearing about the oilsands.

In fact, it's a refreshing change from the one-sided, half-truths that are cobbled together by environmentalists

and some media who have turned their tunnel vision on Alberta's oilsands. Put together by seven of the top scientists in their field, peer-reviewed and over 400 pages, the Royal Society report examines issues ranging from air, water and land to reclamation, regulation and policy.

It is probably too big of a Christmas wish to hope the report puts to bed many of the myths that threaten development of a resource that generates significant energy security, economic prosperity and tax revenue for Canadians. However, it does put into perspective the impacts of oilsands development.

As an example, the report rebuts critics' claims that cancer rates in the northern Alberta community of

Fort Chipewyan are due to exposure to contaminants from oilsands activity further upstream. The report states, "there is no credible evidence of environmental contaminant exposures from oilsands reaching Fort Chipewyan at levels expected to cause elevated human cancer rates."

The report also debunks many of the other commonly held environmental myths in the region. Notably, some of the more interesting conclusions are, "current industrial water use demands do not threaten the viability of the Athabasca River system," "oilsands development activities are not a current threat to aquatic ecosystem viability," and "sustainable upland reclamation is achievable and ultimately should be able to support traditional land uses."

Is there room for improvement? Yes. Challenges remain and as members of the Oil Sands Developers Group review the report more thoroughly, we will identify where more can be done. But history shows the industry has come a long way from where we started. We got to where we are today by adopting recommendations much like those in the Royal Society of Canada's report.

Our goal has been, and will remain, to develop Canada's oilsands resources using the latest technologies in the most environmental way. Now and for the future.

Don Thompson is President, Oil Sands Developers Group. www. oilsandsdevelopers.ca