By NASA Earth Observatory - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=40997, Public Domain
Province to adopt new standards for oil sands mine water
Alberta is moving ahead with new rules for treating and releasing water from oil sands tailings ponds, following recommendations from a government-appointed committee.
The province said Friday it will work with the Alberta Energy Regulator to put the measures in place, including faster development of treatment technologies and new monitoring programs. The Oil Sands Mine Water Steering Committee, created in 2024, brought forward the recommendations with input from industry, Indigenous and local communities, and academic experts.
Alberta has also committed $50-million to support technologies aimed at reducing and managing tailings ponds, with funding coming from the province’s carbon pricing system on large emitters. The program will be administered by Emissions Reduction Alberta.
Industry groups welcomed the move, saying it will create the certainty needed for reclamation and investment. Environmental and Indigenous communities downstream have raised concerns in the past about treated water being released into the Athabasca River watershed.
The issue of how to handle oil sands tailings ponds has challenged the province for years, with billions in cleanup costs expected.
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