How much of Alberta’s oil sands are recoverable through surface mining?
• About 18% of Alberta’s 173 billion barrels of remaining established reserves of bitumen are recoverable through surface mining. The remaining 82% of oil sands bitumen is recoverable by in situ methods, such as steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), which leaves a smaller environmental footprint. How much boreal forest has been cleared or mined by oil sands companies? • 470 square km of boreal forest. How large are the tailings ponds?  • The ERCB estimates tailings ponds today are approximately 130 square km. What else is the ERCB doing with regulation of the oil sands? • The ERCB has changed the structure of our organization to deal with the oil sands.  And over the last three years, it has embarked on an evolution of its regulations pertaining to the oil sands. • Last December, the ERCB signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Alberta Environment to coordinate groundwater protection efforts in a number of areas, such as oil sands thermal and mining operations. • Earlier th
