Alberta regulator confirms potential oilsands toxins in small fish-bearing waterbody | 24CA News
Alberta’s power regulator has confirmed hazardous chemical compounds are current in a small waterbody after two releases of tailings-contaminated wastewater from Imperial Oil’s Kearl oilsands mine.
In an replace launched Tuesday, the company stated hydrocarbons and naphthenic acids have been present in an unnamed fish-bearing lake positioned virtually totally inside Imperial’s lease about 70 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.
“Test results on April 3 identified the presence of F2 hydrocarbons and naphthenic acids at the two sampling sites closest to the seep location,” stated a press release from the regulator. “These components are potential indicators of industrial wastewater within … a fish-bearing waterbody on the northeastern edge of Imperial’s Kearl lease.”
F2 hydrocarbons are lighter petrochemicals. Naphthenic acids are fashioned from the breakdown of petrochemicals and are usually present in oilsands tailings.
The lake, close to the place the releases occurred, is lower than 1 / 4 of a sq. kilometre in measurement.
The regulator stated the degrees of these toxins stay under tips for the safety of aquatic life.
“There is no indication of a change in drinking water quality at this time and no adverse impacts to fish or wildlife have been observed,” the regulator stated. “It is premature to make any conclusions based on these test results and further testing is being done.”
An Imperial Oil spokeswoman stated these chemical compounds haven’t been discovered on the lake’s outlet to a tributary of the Firebag River.
The news follows an earlier warning from Environment Canada that Imperial should take motion to stop the chemical compounds from coming into fish-bearing waters, which might violate the Fisheries Act. That act prohibits any discharge of dangerous materials into fish-bearing water.
Martin Olszynski, a professor of useful resource legislation on the University of Calgary, stated the regulator’s discovering may have a bearing on whether or not Imperial faces costs underneath the act.
“They very clearly talk about industrial wastewater,” he stated. “Not just bitumen-influenced, but industrial wastewater.”
The ranges of contaminants discovered within the fish-bearing water aren’t a consideration, he stated.
Read extra:
Alberta Energy Regulator to launch third get together probe of Kearl oilsands tailings leak
“It doesn’t matter the quantities that are being detected.”
Olszynski stated the regulator refers to “potential” indicators of wastewater, suggesting the chemical compounds haven’t been conclusively linked to the Imperial launch.
“It’s hard to know how much heavy lifting that word is doing,” he stated.
Imperial first discovered discoloured water seeping from one in all its tailings ponds in May that has since been confirmed to be groundwater contaminated with oilsands tailings.
In February, one other 5.3 million litres of tailings-contaminated wastewater escaped from a catchment pond.
The seepage continues, though Imperial has constructed new trenches and put in pumps to stop it from spreading.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
