Regulator probes waterfowl landings on toxic Canada oil sands ponds
Date: 06-Nov-14
Country: CANADA
Author: Scott Haggett
New reports of waterfowl landing on toxic ponds of industrial waste in the oil sands of northern Alberta are being investigated by the Canadian province's energy regulator in light of the death of 1,600 ducks on such ponds in 2008.
That incident six years ago led to charges against one of the biggest companies in the tar sands and boosted environmental opposition to operations there.
"We've received reports from a few different companies in the area that there have been waterfowl landing on many different types of infrastructure throughout the Athabasca oil sands area," said Ryan Bartlett, a spokesman for the Alberta Energy Regulator.
Bartlett said he could not yet identify which companies have reported the landings or whether any birds have died as they have stopped in the tar sands as they migrate south for the winter.
Oil sands mining companies are required to have systems in place to discourage birds from landing on the toxic tailings ponds, which are a byproduct of processing crude mined from the oil sands.
The 1,600 ducks died after landing on a Syncrude Canada Ltd tailings ponds before the company's bird-deterrent system had been activated. The company was fined C$3 million ($2.6 million) for the incident, which fueled international concern about the environmental impact of developing the oil sands.
(Editing by Peter Galloway)
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