EDMONTON — Documents filed by Imperial Oil Ltd.
show the company and Alberta's energy regulator knew the Kearl oilsands mine was seeping tailings into groundwater years before a pool of contaminated fluid was reported on the surface, alarming area First Nations and triggering three investigations.
"It is of upmost priority that downstream water continues to remain safe, and any potential impacts to the public are both mitigated and communicated transparently," she said in an email. " seepage, or potential early arrival of , was reported at 11 monitoring locations in 2021, indicated by trends and/or exceedances in multiple ," it says.
Four pumping wells activated in 2021 to contain the seepage"diverted" more than a billion litres of groundwater, says the report. After that, key parameters dropped or stabilized at"most" locations. Data filed to the Oilsands Monitoring Program shows sulphates at a sampling station in the Muskeg River began climbing drastically in March 2022. Within a year, they were 18 times higher than the 2021 average.
Over the summer, Imperial expanded Kearl's seepage interception with additional pumps and drainage structures. Monitoring continues.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘It’s heartless’: No increases to Alberta’s minimum wage in 5 yearsOn Sunday, six provinces upped their minimum wage once again, but not Alberta, as they haven't changed theirs since five years ago on October 1st, 2018.
Read more »
Brandon Sutter announces retirement after release from PTO with Edmonton OilersSutter played 13 NHL seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks.
Read more »
Veteran NHLer Brandon Sutter retires after PTO release from Edmonton OilersVeteran NHL forward Brandon Sutter has announced his retirement from professional hockey after being released from his professional try-out with the Edmonton Oilers.
Read more »
Keeping ants as pets: Enthusiasts in Edmonton say it's becoming a thingWith its river valley, Edmonton has a lot of good habitat for ants, says Zachary Liu, a second-year biology student at McGill University in Montreal. Liu owns a business called Canada Ant Colony.
Read more »
Quinn Hughes helps Vancouver Canucks power past Edmonton Oilers in pre-season actionDefenceman Quinn Hughes scored twice and collected an assist as the Vancouver Canucks finally found their scoring touch in a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers in NHL pre-season play Saturday night.
Read more »
Edmonton Oilers suffer 5-2 loss in VancouverBrock Boeser had four assists as the Vancouver Canucks downed the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in pre-season action Saturday night. The Oilers took the lead late in the first when Adam Erne found a loose puck in front, spun, and fired the puck past Thatcher Demko. Quinn Hughes scored twice 1:53 apart in the second. He...
Read more »