The Alberta Power Regulator says it’s investigating after Suncor reported the invention of dozens of useless birds at an oil sands tailings pond.
In a publish on its web site on Saturday, the regulator mentioned Suncor notified them late Friday afternoon of 32 useless waterfowl discovered at a tailings pond 29 km north of Fort McMurray at Suncor’s base mine website.
The publish mentioned the power firm discovered the birds throughout an oil sands chicken contact monitoring program survey.
It famous that “the state of the wildlife signifies that this might not be a latest occasion, however it’s being reviewed.”
The publish mentioned Suncor has since suggested it has additionally discovered a mutt and a vole, each useless.
The regulator mentioned an AER inspector was “instantly on website” and, along with checking chicken deterrent programs, the inspector “will be sure that mitigation methods are in place.”
Learn extra:
Suncor studies launch of water from sediment pond at Alberta oil sands mine
“Collaboration between the AER, Suncor, Alberta Setting and Parks, and Setting Canada and Local weather Change is ongoing to make sure that all security, wildlife and environmental necessities are met in the course of the response to the incident,” the AER mentioned. – publish mentioned.
“We are going to proceed to rigorously assess the state of affairs and supply additional updates as mandatory.”
Suncor spokeswoman Erin Rees mentioned in an e mail that the birds have been discovered throughout one of many firm’s “common, required inspections.” She mentioned applicable regulatory authorities have been notified.
“On the time of discovery, all chicken deterrent programs at Base Plant have been lively. Our chicken deterrent program contains cannons, radar and imagery. We’ve launched an investigation,” Rees mentioned.
Incidents of chicken deaths at oil sands tailings ponds through the years embody 50 birds touchdown in Might 2020 at an Imperial Oil tailings space close to its Kearl oil sands mission in northern Alberta. On the time, Imperial mentioned it believed it occurred regardless of deterrents as a result of many of the pure our bodies of water within the space have been nonetheless frozen.
Learn extra:
Imperial CEO hears influence of Kearl oil sands leaks, apologizes for silence: ‘We broke this belief’
In January 2019, Syncrude was fined greater than $2.7 million after pleading responsible to environmental costs within the 2015 demise of 31 nice blue herons at one among its oil sands mines north of Fort McMurray.
Syncrude was additionally fined $3 million in 2010 after greater than 1,600 geese died after they ended up on a tailings pond in 2008.
Earlier this week, Suncor Power Inc. reported the discharge of six million gallons of water from a dam at its Fort Hills oil sands mine north of Fort McMurray that exceeded sediment tips.
Suncor mentioned it has stopped outflows from the dam and is learning the reason for the issue and the way it’s affecting water high quality.
Well timed notification of water releases from oil sands mines additionally turned a difficulty earlier this spring.
Final Might, Imperial Oil observed discolored water seeping from one among its tailings ponds that turned out to be groundwater contaminated by waste, however neither First Nations nor governments have been notified of the issue till February after a second launch from a catchment dam
Three inquiries have since been known as in after this silence of 9 months.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
