tagged w/ Syncrude
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Many of us, certainly the Canadians among us, have heard the criticisms leveled at the tar sands operations in Alberta, a western Canadian province that is fast becoming the "Saudi" of North America by media standards. In this video, a Syncrude worker presents a reclaimed tar sands site which, they claim, shows the possibility of restoring mining and extraction sites back to functional ecosystems once the operations are finished. Does this mean that the environmental impact is only temporary?
The debate question is this: Are there effective ways to reduce the impact of the oil sands production? If not, then what should be done?Many of us, certainly the Canadians among us, have heard the criticisms leveled at the... more
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Within minutes of being found guilty of failing to protect 1,600 migrating ducks from being smothered in Syncrude's toxic black tailing lake in 2008, the company's lawyer told reporters he would recommend an appeal. But the judge still has to decide what the sentence will be and the company could be facing fines of up to $300,000 per dead bird.
http://looncanada.wordpress.com/2010/06/26/syncrude-set-to-appeal-dead-duck-verdict-before-trial-is-over/Within minutes of being found guilty of failing to protect 1,600 migrating ducks from... more
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Canadian oil-sands company Syncrude has been found guilty of causing the death of 1,600 ducks in a toxic waste pond at its mine in Alberta.
The deaths of the mallards two years ago drew widespread attention and prompted Prime Minister Stephen Harper to lament that Canada's international reputation had been hurt by it.
At the time, Syncrude said it was having problems with its electronic cannons, which were used to scare the birds away from the oily waters. The cannons were not working.
Alberta court Judge Ken Tjosvold said Friday Syncrude did not deploy deterrence early enough or quickly enough. The company faces fines of up to 800,000 Canadian dollars ($773,000).
Alberta's oil sands form an important Canadian industry but the process of separating out the oil has been criticized by environmentalists as highly polluting.
Tailings ponds contain waste from the separation process. Dozens of toxic tailings ponds have been building up over 40 years in northern Alberta.
The flock of ducks landed on the tailings pond in April 2008. Such ponds, which contain billions of gallons of water left tainted after being used to remove oil from sand in the area, sit along the flyways birds use to migrate to and from northern nesting grounds.
Only a handful of ducks survived. Syncrude, which had initially reported 500 ducks were involved, later acknowledged the actual number was triple that amount.
Syncrude spokeswoman Cheryl Robb said deterrence measures now operate year round.
Robb said the company is concerned the ruling would open it up to litigation from special interest groups.
"We're disappointed," Robb said. "We were very concerned that the use of these charges would have had serious ramifications on Canada's mining industry."
Mike Hudema of Greenpeace said Syncrude and the Alberta government still have a lot to answer for.
"These toxic lakes should never have been allowed to be created. This isn't just about the ducks. It is about health and protecting people and communities," Hudema said.Canadian oil-sands company Syncrude has been found guilty of causing the death of... more
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Greenpeace is calling for an independent public inquiry into the deaths of about 500 ducks that landed on a Syncrude tailings pond.
Greenpeace is calling for an independent public inquiry into the deaths of about 500... more
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