Alberta Energy Regulator investigates bird deaths at oilsands site in northern

Alberta’s Energy Regulator (AER) says it is looking into what killed the birds at Syncrude’s Mildred Lake facility, about 40 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, Alta. Curran said AER is investigating whether the bitumen in the water was naturally-occurring or if it was as a result of the plant’s operations.

Will Gibson, a spokesman for Syncrude Canada, said the company is co-operating with the energy regulator as well as with provincial fish and wildlife officials and Environment Canada. He said it’s not yet known how the birds died or whether others were injured.

In November 2014, about 30 birds died after landing on a tailings pond at Syncrude’s Mildred Lake facility.

In 2010, Syncrude was fined C$3 million ($2.29 million) for negligence in the 2008 deaths of 1,600 ducks in a toxic tailings pond, a case that fueled worldwide concern about the environmental impact of developing Canada’s oil sands.

Gibson said the deterrent system uses radar to detect birds.

“Our goal is finding out what happened and ensuring that it’s not repeated”, he said. In the image, a great blue heron. Both female and male birds incubate the eggs and feed the young.