The recent unfortunate death of more ducks in tailing ponds has thrust the issue of whether oil sands operations are safe for wildlife back into the headlines.
Our industry is coming under additional scrutiny, with longstanding critics suggesting that oil sands companies simply don’t care about the impact of their operations on Alberta’s wildlife.
Oil sands operators do in fact care and share a common goal of protecting wildlife from harm. Detailed wildlife protection regulations backed up by regular inspections from Alberta Environment and SRD Fish & Wildlife hold us accountable.
Operators are well aware that tailings ponds are a potential hazard for waterfowl. Suncor’s bird deterrent program, based on approaches now commonplace at airports, has been operating for over 30 years. As well as deploying bird scare cannons, electronic noisemakers and mechanical hawks, we inspect our ponds and shoreline areas for stray birds and wildlife several times per day. Bird scare systems are inspected weekly to ensure they are working properly. This report (PDF) provides an overview of the systems industry typically deploys.
Our aim to protect wildlife is not limited to birds. In partnership with a variety of organizations such as the Alberta Conservation Association and Ducks Unlimited Canada, Suncor invests in many wildlife research, monitoring and conservation activities. We have restored habitats along our North Cabin natural gas pipeline, are managing landscape to protect wildlife, trapping and relocating animals which could come to harm, installing bear-proof waste containers and sign-posting road sections known to have frequent wildlife crossings.
We are also monitoring how our wind farms might affect birds and bats, because even renewable energy operations can impact wildlife.
But, as the latest incident suggests, tailings ponds may be hazardous for birds under some circumstances even when all the deterrence systems are working. Outcomes of the incident investigation may point to additional measures that can be taken to keep waterfowl safe.
The longer-term solution, of course, is to get rid of tailings ponds altogether, a goal the industry is working towards diligently.
Earlier this fall, Suncor marked an industry milestone, becoming the first oil sands company to complete surface reclamation of a tailings pond, a key step in returning the site back to nature.
And earlier this summer, the company received approval to implement new tailings management technology called TROTM. The company expects to invest funds to implement the technology over the next two years, potentially reducing tailings reclamation time by decades and speeding the return of oil sands mining sites to natural habitat.
Suncor’s oil sands facilities are of the scale of a small city but set in an area where, unlike a city, we encourage the preservation and reclamation of natural habitat to the greatest extent possible. This does mean though that there will be interaction with wildlife and there will be impacts, including bird mortality. Our goal is to minimize those impacts.
Oil sands operators do in fact care and share a common goal of protecting wildlife from harm. Detailed wildlife protection regulations backed up by regular inspections from Alberta Environment and SRD Fish & Wildlife hold us accountable.
Operators are well aware that tailings ponds are a potential hazard for waterfowl. Suncor’s bird deterrent program, based on approaches now commonplace at airports, has been operating for over 30 years. As well as deploying bird scare cannons, electronic noisemakers and mechanical hawks, we inspect our ponds and shoreline areas for stray birds and wildlife several times per day. Bird scare systems are inspected weekly to ensure they are working properly. This report (PDF) provides an overview of the systems industry typically deploys.
Our aim to protect wildlife is not limited to birds. In partnership with a variety of organizations such as the Alberta Conservation Association and Ducks Unlimited Canada, Suncor invests in many wildlife research, monitoring and conservation activities. We have restored habitats along our North Cabin natural gas pipeline, are managing landscape to protect wildlife, trapping and relocating animals which could come to harm, installing bear-proof waste containers and sign-posting road sections known to have frequent wildlife crossings.
We are also monitoring how our wind farms might affect birds and bats, because even renewable energy operations can impact wildlife.
But, as the latest incident suggests, tailings ponds may be hazardous for birds under some circumstances even when all the deterrence systems are working. Outcomes of the incident investigation may point to additional measures that can be taken to keep waterfowl safe.
The longer-term solution, of course, is to get rid of tailings ponds altogether, a goal the industry is working towards diligently.
Earlier this fall, Suncor marked an industry milestone, becoming the first oil sands company to complete surface reclamation of a tailings pond, a key step in returning the site back to nature.
And earlier this summer, the company received approval to implement new tailings management technology called TROTM. The company expects to invest funds to implement the technology over the next two years, potentially reducing tailings reclamation time by decades and speeding the return of oil sands mining sites to natural habitat.
Suncor’s oil sands facilities are of the scale of a small city but set in an area where, unlike a city, we encourage the preservation and reclamation of natural habitat to the greatest extent possible. This does mean though that there will be interaction with wildlife and there will be impacts, including bird mortality. Our goal is to minimize those impacts.
