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CBC
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Alberta to explore injecting oilsands tailings deep underground as disposal option
The Alberta government says it is considering letting oil companies inject wastewater deep underground as a way to manage the toxic tailings that are accumulating in the oilsands. The idea is one of five policy recommendations being put forward by a government-appointed committee tasked with studying potential tailings management options. A new report from the committee, which was formed over a year ago and is chaired by United Conservative MLA Tany Yao of Fort McMurray, says injecting mine water underground is a practical solution — but considering over 1.4 trillion litres of tailings exist as of 2023, it can't be the only option. "The accumulation of [oilsands mine water] represents a management challenge, particularly in the absence of established water release standards," the report reads. "This approach helps to mitigate the continued accumulation of [tailings] and provides a buffer while longer-term water management strategies are being developed and implemented." The report doesn't say exactly how much of the existing tailings volume it recommends to be disposed of in this way, but that "regulated limits should be placed on the volume of water that can be injected." The committee's report says underground disposal of tailings — which are mixtures of water, sand, bitumen residue and chemicals — wouldn't ruin sources of drinking water as the wastewater would be disposed of underneath many layers of impermeable rock. However, the report says there are a number of factors that would make underground disposal at a major scale a costly and lengthy endeavour. New infrastructure and pipelines would need to be constructed since "there are limited geologically suitable deep well disposal sites" close to the oilsands, and if new underground wells are to be drilled the timeline for approval and consultation also "may not contribute towards an accelerated strategy to manage and reduce accumulated [tailings] on the landscape." The committee — which includes former Alberta environment minister Lorne Taylor and University of Alberta engineering professor and Canada Research Chair in sustainable and resilient wastewater treatment for reuse Mohamed Gamal El-Din — also wrote that this disposal method would be in direct competition with carbon capture and storage projects for underground space. Alienor Rougeot, the senior program manager of climate and energy with advocacy group Environmental Defence, said she's happy to see the Alberta government recognize the urgency of the tailings ponds, but she's skeptical underground disposal is as safe as the committee is making it out to be. "I don't know that we are at a stage where we could even say if we can safely inject anything down there," she said, adding that any tailings disposed underground would have to be treated completely. In a letter accompanying the recommendations, Yao wrote that the committee "is satisfied" that technology exists to treat and safely release tailings water. Rougeot said such a claim is news to her. "If they have a solution to fully treat the water to a quality that's good enough to be put into the environment, that water should be good enough to be back into the production process," she said, noting the committee's report states oilsands mining operations use about 220-billion litres of fresh water every year. Rougeot said if the government is serious about tackling the problem of tailings in the oilsands it should make a requirement that companies can no longer use fresh water in their mining operations, especially if the technology exists to treat it to a degree that's safe for environmental release as Yao wrote. "There's more than enough existing tailings volumes to meet all the needs of all the production on a given day," she said. "I want to see first a 100 per cent reuse rate of the existing tailings, and then we can talk about disposal." Another recommendation being made by the committee is for Alberta to make policy changes to encourage companies to share wastewater across different types of oil mining facilities in order to reduce the need for freshwater use, and therefore the production of further tailings. Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said in a government release Thursday that her ministry will evaluate the committee's recommendations over the next six months before implementing a new tailings management plan. "We need to start finding a path to more effectively manage oilsands mine water and tailing ponds," Schulz said. "Doing nothing while mine water continues accumulating is not a sustainable approach." NDP environment critic Sarah Elmeligi agreed with Rougeot, saying in a statement that injecting tailings underground would be "irresponsible because we don't know the risks involved to groundwater or geological stability." "Nothing in these proposed methods remotely comes close to addressing future environmental and health impacts and we have already seen many Indigenous communities living downstream continue to deal with these consequences," Elmeligi said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Canada battles toxic waste crisis as Alberta moves to pump oilsands tailings underground amid health and cost concerns
Alberta is proposing a solution to its mounting oilsands pollution . A panel of public and industry experts, led by Alberta MLA Tany Yao, recommends that companies inject toxic tailings like dirty water, sand, clay, and leftover bitumen deep underground rather than letting them pile up on the surface. Canada's booming oilsands industry has left behind massive lakes of toxic tailings for decades, now totalling over 1.4 trillion litres. These waste ponds have long leaked into ecosystems, threatening Indigenous communities and raising health alarms. Despite past regulations, no company has ever fully cleaned one up, leaving billions in cleanup costs and few solutions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Infertile Man Visits Orphanage And Hears, 'Hi Daddy.' Then He Realizes His Late Wife's Cruel Lies Crowdy Fan Undo Oilsands pollution is caused by the extraction and processing of bitumen, a form of crude oil found in sands. The oilsands in Alberta are Canada's single-largest source of industrial waste by volume The plan of pumping toxic oilsands is part of an expanding toolkit, a strategy that critics say comes late to a crisis decades in the making. Live Events Canada's tailings ponds, which cover some 270 km², reflect a broader issue: cleanup liability has ballooned to C$130 billion, yet companies have posted barely C$1.4 billion in reclamation security. Also read : Thousands demand an independent Alberta Health risks Legions of studies and lived testimonies like those from Fort Chipewyan, where cancer rates are roughly double Alberta's average, highlight the human cost. Ottawa committed C$12 million in 2024 to a 10-year Indigenous-led health study to evaluate links between oilsands development and illnesses. Simultaneously, Ottawa is reviewing naphthenic acids for classification as federally 'toxic' under CEPA, an assessment due by mid-2025, which could trigger stricter regulation of tailings. Why underground? The committee calls injection 'practical,' emphasising it could ease the surface load while long-term fixes take shape. Deep beneath impermeable rock layers, the risk of leaking into rivers is minimized but not eliminated. Environmental scientist Aliénor Rougeot of Environmental Defence praised the attention but urged caution: 'I don't know that we are at a stage where we could safely inject anything down there,' she told The Canadian Press. Installation hurdles and costs The report warns that large scale underground disposal will require new infrastructure like pipelines, wells, regulatory approvals, and consultation, making it long and expensive. It suggests regulated volume limits to ensure safety. Oilsands tailings carry a toxic mix with around 75 per cent water, g25 per cent sand, plus residual bitumen, dissolved salts, heavy metals (like arsenic and chromium), naphthenic acids, phenols, PAHs, and trace hydrocarbons. These compounds have tainted the Athabasca River in past spills and caused visible fish deformities and bird deaths. Suncor admitted leaking 1,600 m³ per day into the river in 2012. A 2018 joint investigation estimated Alberta's cleanup liability, mostly tailings, at C$130 billion, with only C$1.4 billion secured by companies. The committee also urges sharing recycled wastewater among sites to cut freshwater usage and reduce tailings production. Alberta's Water Management Framework already limits Athabasca River withdrawals to 1.3 percent of low flow levels, but critics say more is needed. What's next? Now Alberta has six months to evaluate these five suggestions, including the underground injection plan, with a formal tailings management strategy due by late 2025. For oil workers, pipeline contractors, and Indigenous people, the decisions in the next half-year will define the region's future.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Alberta to explore injecting oil sands tailings underground as one management option
A highway loops around a tailings pond at the Syncrude facility as seen from a helicopter tour of the oilsands near Fort McMurray, Alta., on July 10, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh The Alberta government says it is considering letting oil companies inject wastewater deep underground as a way to manage the toxic tailings that are accumulating in the oilsands. The idea is one of five policy recommendations being put forward by a government-appointed committee tasked with studying potential tailings management options. A new report from the committee, which was formed over a year ago and is chaired by United Conservative MLA Tany Yao of Fort McMurray, says injecting mine water underground is a practical solution -- but considering over 1.4 trillion litres of tailings exist as of 2023, it can't be the only option. 'The accumulation of (oilsands mine water) represents a management challenge, particularly in the absence of established water release standards,' the report reads. 'This approach helps to mitigate the continued accumulation of (tailings) and provides a buffer while longer-term water management strategies are being developed and implemented.' The report doesn't say exactly how much of the existing tailings volume it recommends to be disposed of in this way, but that 'regulated limits should be placed on the volume of water that can be injected.' The committee's report says underground disposal of tailings — which are mixtures of water, sand, bitumen residue and chemicals — wouldn't ruin sources of drinking water as the wastewater would be disposed of underneath many layers of impermeable rock. However, the report says there are a number of factors that would make underground disposal at a major scale a costly and lengthy endeavour. New infrastructure and pipelines would need to be constructed since 'there are limited geologically suitable deep well disposal sites' close to the oilsands, and if new underground wells are to be drilled the timeline for approval and consultation also 'may not contribute towards an accelerated strategy to manage and reduce accumulated (tailings) on the landscape.' The committee — which includes former Alberta environment minister Lorne Taylor and University of Alberta engineering professor and Canada Research Chair in sustainable and resilient wastewater treatment for reuse Dr. Mohamed Gamal El-Din — also wrote that this disposal method would be in direct competition with carbon capture and storage projects for underground space. Aliénor Rougeot, the senior program manager of climate and energy with advocacy group Environmental Defence, said she's happy to see the Alberta government recognize the urgency of the tailings ponds, but she's skeptical underground disposal is as safe as the committee is making it out to be. 'I don't know that we are at a stage where we could even say if we can safely inject anything down there,' she said, adding that any tailings disposed underground would have to be treated completely. In a letter accompanying the recommendations, Yao wrote that the committee 'is satisfied' that technology exists to treat and safely release tailings water. Rougeot said such a claim is news to her. 'If they have a solution to fully treat the water to a quality that's good enough to be put into the environment, that water should be good enough to be back into the production process,' she said, noting the committee's report states oilsands mining operations use about 220-billion litres of fresh water every year. Rougeot said if the government is serious about tackling the problem of tailings in the oilsands it should make a requirement that companies can no longer use fresh water in their mining operations, especially if the technology exists to treat it to a degree that's safe for environmental release as Yao wrote. 'There's more than enough existing tailings volumes to meet all the needs of all the production on a given day,' she said. 'I want to see first a 100 per cent reuse rate of the existing tailings, and then we can talk about disposal.' Another recommendation being made by the committee is for Alberta to make policy changes to encourage companies to share wastewater across different types of oil mining facilities in order to reduce the need for freshwater use, and therefore the production of further tailings. Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said in a government release Thursday that her ministry will evaluate the committee's recommendations over the next six months before implementing a new tailings management plan. 'We need to start finding a path to more effectively manage oilsands mine water and tailing ponds,' Schulz said. 'Doing nothing while mine water continues accumulating is not a sustainable approach.' NDP environment critic Sarah Elmeligi agreed with Rougeot, saying in a statement that injecting tailings underground would be 'irresponsible because we don't know the risks involved to groundwater or geological stability.' 'Nothing in these proposed methods remotely comes close to addressing future environmental and health impacts and we have already seen many Indigenous communities living downstream continue to deal with these consequences,' Elmeligi said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025. Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
