Syncrude triples number of dead ducks

By Nathan Vanderklippe

CALGARY — Environmental groups accused oil sands miner Syncrude of misleading the public after it acknowledged Tuesday that three times as many ducks died in one of its tailings pond than it originally reported.

A total of 1,606 ducks died late last April at the massive mine north of Fort McMurray. Many of them drowned after diving beneath the waters of the lake-sized reservoir, whose waters are tainted with oily bitumen, Syncrude president and chief executive Tom Katinas said at a news conference Tuesday. In consultation with provincial officials, Syncrude initially said only 500 ducks died.

“Once again I want to apologize for this terribly sad event that happened on our site. It is a stain on the good reputation that Syncrude has earned,” Mr. Katinas said. “It's been particularly sad and embarrassing for me personally, for the employees of Syncrude and for all the stakeholders in this great company of ours.”

Mr. Katinas said only a small percentage of the dead birds was visible on the water when the problem was discovered. The remainder surfaced in subsequent months – after the first estimate was made public – when their bodies began to decompose, he said.
A female Mallard duck is gets its bill cleaned of oil in April, 2008, after being transported from the Syncrude tailings pond at their tar sands site near Fort McMurray, Alta.

A female Mallard duck is gets its bill cleaned of oil in April, 2008, after being transported from the Syncrude tailings pond at their tar sands site near Fort McMurray, Alta. (The Canadian Press)

Environmental groups, however, accused Syncrude of masking the initial toll.

“The public has been misled,” said Jeh Custer, energy campaigner with Sierra Club of Canada. “It seems like there was an effort to save face.”

The dead ducks have become a potent symbol of the environmental destruction wrought by the massive oil sands operations and their tailings ponds, which cover 130 square kilometres – an area the size of Vancouver.

“It's one of the most visual indicators of oil sands mismanagement that we have,” said Simon Dyer, the director of oil sands for the Pembina Institute, who said the real concern is the water the birds died in.

The birds – primarily mallards, but also teals and goldeneyes – died April 28 in the Aurora Settling Basin, one of the few areas of open water in an unusually late spring. Because of a snowstorm, noisemakers had not been set up when the birds arrived.

Mr. Katinas outlined a number of measures the mine is taking to prevent another large killing, including a 30-per-cent increase in the number of noise cannons. The company will test a radar system to detect birds this year, and will step up its monitoring, he said. It will also use reflective scarecrows, bird deterrents year-round at open water sites, and will install noise cannons in advance of the spring migration.

The new measures come after a letter last year, obtained by Sierra Canada, in which Alberta Sustainable Resource Development said Syncrude's bird protection plan “falls far below the current industry standard.”

Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner said on Tuesday the province will not lodge any new charges based on the larger death toll. Last month, Alberta and Ottawa charged Syncrude with breaking environmental laws. The energy giant could face fines of up to $800,000 if convicted under provincial and federal environmental legislation.