Canadian authorities are investigating Suncor following the death of wildlife in a tailings pond

Canadian authorities have launched an investigation into energy company Suncor after they found scores of dead animals in a tailings pond at its base mine site. The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) said a total of 43 birds, one bat, two muskrats and a vole were found in the pond.

Suncor said the animals were unlikely to have died recently, an assessment the AER supported, saying: “The state of wildlife indicates this may not be a new event, but this is currently being reviewed.”

Suncor spokeswoman Erin Rees added, “At the time of discovery, all bird control systems at the base plant were active. Our bird control program includes cannons, radar and effigies. We have launched an investigation.”

First, Suncor found the 32 waterfowl during a routine inspection of the pond. The AER found an additional 11 birds, as well as other wildlife, after Suncor alerted them to the problem.

A History of Landings from Tailings ponds

Bird deaths after landing in tailings ponds is a recurring problem in Canadian oil sands mining. In 2020, 50 birds died after landing on an Imperial Oil compound. The Alberta Provincial Court imposed a fine Syncrude $738,358 (C$1M) after more than 1,600 ducks died in a tailings pond in 2010. In this case, it was determined that Syncrude did not have adequate deterrents on site.

It is Suncor’s second high-profile environmental accident this week. Three days earlier, Suncor dumped six million gallons of muddy water into the Athabasca River. The silt is usually allowed to settle before the pond is drained. In this case, however, the discharged water contained more than twice the permissible sediment content.

Allan Adam, chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, called for the dissolution of the AER, saying, “Suncor’s actions underscore the AER’s continued failure to prevent, properly communicate or proactively regulate environmental disasters in the oil sands.”