A years-long international investigation has found ‘scientifically valid evidence’ the massive pits that store toxic waste in the oilsands are leaking, leaving Albertans wondering who’s going to clean them up Sharon J. Riley Dec 14, 2020 16 min readThere are more than a trillion litres of toxic oilsands waste stored in tailings ponds near Alberta’s Athabasca River — and they’re leaking.Yes, we now have “scientifically valid evidence” that the ponds meant to contain toxic fluids are leaking, according to a years-long probe backed by the governments of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.Get The Narwhal in your inbox!People always tell us they love our newsletter. Not only that, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation report noted there is evidence tailings fluids “may circumvent [containment] systems and contaminate aquifers” and end up in the groundwater.“It really affirmed what my community has been saying for quite a long time,” Melody Lepine, director of government and industry relations for the Mikisew Cree First Nation, told The Narwhal.Lepine, who lives in Fort McMurray, Alta., still has a lot of questions. “It’s making its way to the groundwater, so is it making its way to our surface water? Is it making its way to the foods and wildlife that we rely on for subsistence purposes, our traditional foods? Are we consuming it?”The answers to these questions are largely unknown, which is a big part of the problem.In a statement emailed to The Narwhal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada Jonathan Wilkinson said “enough is enough.” “Oilsands tailings must be addressed,” he added. “We will ensure enforcement officers will be given the tools they need to ensure polluters are held to account when environmental laws are broken.”
Source: Alberta’s oilsands tailings ponds are leaking. Now what? | The Narwhal
