By Canadian Press

Alberta regulator confirms Kearl oilsands toxins in small fish-bearing waterbody

Apr 5, 2023 | 10:45 AM

Alberta’s energy regulator is confirming that hazardous chemicals are present in a small waterbody after two releases of tailings-contaminated wastewater from Imperial Oil’s Kearl oilsands mine. 

In an update released Tuesday, the agency says hydrocarbons and naphthenic acids have been found in an unnamed fish-bearing lake located almost entirely within Imperial’s lease about 70 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.

The lake, near where the releases occurred, is less than a quarter of a square kilometre in size.

The regulator says the levels of those toxins remain below guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. 

An Imperial Oil spokeswoman says those chemicals haven’t been found at the lake’s outlet to a tributary of the Firebag River.

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The news follows an earlier warning from Environment Canada that Imperial must take action to prevent the chemicals from entering fish-bearing waters, which would violate the Fisheries Act. 

Imperial first found discoloured water seeping from one its tailings ponds in May, since confirmed to be groundwater contaminated with oilsands tailings.

In February, another 5.3 million litres of tailings-contaminated wastewater escaped from a catchment pond. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2023. 

The Canadian Press