What is Bitumen Anyway?
Think of tar mixed in with mud spread over an area larger than the state of Florida and you got the Alberta Oil Sands. The “tar” in question is bitumen and it must first be separated from the mud before being upgraded into marketable crude oil. This process places a huge burden on the environment – Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions have grown an alarming rate ever since the big Oil Sand Boom happened in the 90s. Tailing Ponds – From “Dirty Oil” Comes Dirty Water After “rinsing” bitumen out of mud and upgrading it to crude oil, huge amounts of wastewater is dumped into tailing ponds contained by large dikes and dams. In a recent media release published on oilsandswatch.org by the Pembina Institute, environmentalists continue to voice concerns over the reality of toxic waste seeping into ground water as well as the lack of a commercially viable method for cleaning tailing ponds. Bitumen May Cause Side Effects Fish with bulging eyes, skin tumours, crooked tails and humpbacks are the least
