Documents filed by Imperial Oil Ltd. show the company and Alberta's energy regulator knew the Kearl oilsands mine was seeping tailings into groundwater.
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. Tailings samples are being tested during a tour of Imperial Oil's oilsands research centre in Calgary, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018.
Alberta Energy Regulator spokeswoman Lauren Stewart said the agency is committed to strong oversight of the Kearl site. Earlier studies suggest those results could have been influenced by natural variation or chemical processes in the soil. The 2021 document says little room for doubt remained. Olsgard said the regulator had reports of seepage as early as 2019. Imperial had instituted a “seepage interception system” in 2015.“Imperial initiated, and confirmed, mitigation activities that included activation of the and adding more pumping wells,” she said.
Groundwater in the area moves at between three and 27 metres a year. Some evidence suggests tailings have seeped off the lease. “There is no indication of adverse impacts to wildlife or fish populations in nearby river systems or risks to drinking water for local communities,” Schmidt said.
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