What are tailings ponds and what affect are they having on near-by lakes and rivers?
Tailings are stable dispersions of bitumen, clay and water, formed during the oil sands extraction process. Currently, they are contained in settling ponds, which are a safe, effective way of managing them while they settle. Any proposal to construct a new tailings pond is thoroughly examined by technical experts from a host of regulatory bodies including Alberta Environment, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and the Energy and Utilities Board. Every effort is made to ensure that the design and proposed location of a pond is suitable from an environmental, resource conservation and economic point of view. All tailings ponds are constructed with groundwater monitoring and seepage capture facilities and are closely monitored to ensure any seepage is well understood and minimized so there are no impacts to surface water. As an added level of protection, interceptor ditches are constructed around tailings ponds to prevent any seepage from entering groundwater systems or waterways. N
