Toxics
Issue Brief: Imperial Oil tailings leaks
February 15 Updates | March 11 Updates | March 13 Updates | April 11 Updates | Resources: Learn, Take Action, & Amplify
Latest Updates
Hearings on the Kearl spill before the House of Commons environment and sustainable development committee started with Indigenous communities testifying on April 17 followed by executives from Imperial Oil on April 20.
- Media Release Statement in solidarity with Indigenous nations testifying today about the Imperial Oil toxic leak (Keepers of the Water, Environmental Defence, Indigenous Climate Action | April 17, 2023)
- News First Nations, Métis leaders from Alberta speak about Kearl tar sands in Ottawa (APTN News | April 17, 2023)
- News First Nations blast Alberta Energy Regulator at hearing; Guibeault promises reform (Global News/The Canadian Press | April 17, 2023)
- News Alberta and its regulator get rough ride at Parliamentary committee for Kearl tailings pond seepage fiasco (Windspeaker.com | April 17, 2023)
- News Imperial CEO hears impact of Kearl oilsands leaks, apologizes for silence: ‘We have broken this trust’ (Global News/The Canadian Press | April 20, 2023)
- News NDP MP says tar sands spill shows need for more Indigenous involvement in environmental monitoring (APTN News | April 20, 2023)
- Media Release House of Commons ENVI Committee Hearings Raise More Questions than Answers (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation | April 21, 2023)
In the midst of the testimony before the environment and sustainable development committee, it was announced that there had been a release of water from Suncor's Fort Hills oil sands site.
- Announcement Statement on Suncor Release of Water (AER | April 18, 2023)
- News Nearly 6 million litres of water from oilsands sediment pond released into Athabasca River (CBC News/The Canadian Press | April 18, 2023)
- News Suncor incident highlights ‘continued failure’ of Alberta regulator: First Nation chief (Global News | April 19, 2023)
- Media Release ACFN's response to Suncor's release of muddy water into Fort Creek (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation | April 19, 2023)
- News Suncor to be investigated after dead animals found at mine site (Global News/The Canadian Press | April 22, 2023)
Resources
Learn more about oil sands tailings, take action, and amplify the concerns around the Imperial Oil Kearl Project leaks.
- Info Hub Everything you need to know about the Kearl Mine tailings silent leak and then sudden spill (CPAWS Northern Alberta)
- Toolkit Holding Imperial Accountable! Toolkit (Keepers of the Water)
- Toolkit Amplification Kit (Indigenous Climate Action)
- Report 50 Years of Sprawling Tailings: Mapping decades of destruction by oil sands tailing (CPAWS Northern Alberta & Environmental Defence)
Indigenous, landowners, environmental groups on both sides of the provincial border pleased to see Minister Wilkinson designate Tent Mountain for a federal impact assessment.
CALGARY/TERRITORIES OF THE BLACKFOOT AND PEOPLES OF TREATIES 6 AND 7, HOME TO MÉTIS NATION OF ALBERTA, REGION III Read More
Provincial Coal Consultation - critical opportunity for public input
Deadline April 19 to provide feedback on Alberta coal policy through an on-line survey Read More
New government coal consultation misses the mark, failing to engage with Albertans on the issues they care most about
76% of Albertans are in favour of more protections for nature and recreation in the Eastern Slopes. 64% of those aware of the issue opposed ongoing exploration activity in the Eastern Slopes.
Yesterday’s announcement from the Government of Alberta launching the consultation process for a new Coal Policy does not address CPAWS Southern and Northern Alberta Chapters’ concerns around coal development in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. While CPAWS is happy to see that the process will be run by an independent committee, the survey released as part of the consultation is narrowly focused on regulation of coal developments. Read More
Water NOT Coal : Solidarity Walk with Niitsitapi Water Protectors
Join Niitsitapi Water Protectors on Saturday, March 27 for a peaceful (socially distanced) walk to protect the Eastern Slopes from open-pit coal mining!
We will begin our walk at 1pm at Reconciliation Bridge in Mohkinstsis, Treaty 7 (Calgary). Read More
Location
The Government of Canada is looking for input on plastics management
Plastic pollution harms human health, wildlife and ecosystems. The Government of Canada is looking for input on the discussion paper A Proposed Integrated Management Approach to Plastic Products to Prevent Waste and Pollution. The opportunity to provide input closes December 9. Read More
The Alberta Tailings Ponds II Factual Record: A Submission Under the NAFTA Environmental Side Agreement
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recently made public the Alberta Tailings Ponds II Factual Record which resulted in widespread national media coverage and commentary. This report is the result of the CEC’s Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEM) process, which allows individuals and organizations across North America to raise concerns about the enforcement of environmental laws by Canada, Mexico or the United States. Read More
New Research on lake contamination: Swan Hills’ SHTC and Faust’s Osmose Site
Keepers of the Athabasca and our partners have taken 2 sets of lake sediment core samples in Lesser Slave Lake (LSL): at the mouth of the Swan River, and in Faust Bay in 2018 and 2020. Read More
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