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Alberta Backs Oil Sands Mine Water Recommendations, Setting Path to Release Standards and Trials

The decision sets up a test of treatment standards under scrutiny from industry, Indigenous communities, environmental groups.

There are roughly 1.4 million cubic metres of fluid tailings and more than 390 million cubic metres of water in ponds in the oil sands region.
Syncrude Canada's base plant, located north of Fort McMurray, reflected in an ongoing reclamation project of a tailings pond, on Sunday, August 11, 2019.

Overview

  • The province accepted four new recommendations from the Oil Sands Mine Water Steering Committee and will work with the Alberta Energy Regulator to evaluate and implement a science-based plan for potential releases of treated mine water.
  • The latest advice calls for piloting treatment technologies, expediting standards for releasing treated water, establishing criteria to end pit lakes, and creating more inclusive monitoring programs.
  • Alberta has committed $50 million from the large‑emitter carbon fund, to be managed by Emissions Reduction Alberta, to accelerate tailings and water‑treatment technologies.
  • The Mining Association of Canada welcomed the move as providing a framework and regulatory certainty, while downstream Indigenous communities and environmental groups continue to oppose allowing releases to the Athabasca watershed.
  • Heightened scrutiny reflects recent spills and leaks at Imperial’s Kearl site and Suncor’s Fort Hills project, as well as widely divergent oil sands cleanup cost estimates reported by the regulator.