Deceased Wildlife Found at Suncor Tailings Pond Updated
April 22,2023 - 10:40 PM
As of 4:51 pm on April 22, Suncor completed a sweep of a tailings pond 28 km north of Fort McMurray where deceased wildlife were reported late on April 21. Original reports accounted for 32 birds. At the completion of today’s sweep, a total of 43 birds have been counted, as well as two muskrats, one bat and one vole.
The AER continues to work with Suncor to manage the incident.
We also continue to work with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas and Environment and Climate Change Canada to ensure that all safety, wildlife, and environmental requirements are met during the response to the incident.
April 22,2023 - 12:30 PM
On April 21 at 4:06 PM, Suncor reported the discovery of 32 deceased waterfowl at a tailings pond 28 km north of Fort McMurray. Suncor stated that the incident was detected during an oilsands bird contact monitoring program survey. The state of the wildlife indicates that this may not be a recent event, but this is under review.
An AER inspector was immediately on site to gather and review information, gain situational awareness, and assess the existing mitigations and hazing systems in the area. The inspector will ensure mitigation strategies are in place and actioned appropriately by Suncor.
An AER investigation has been initiated.
Since the notification, Suncor has communicated the discovery of two additional wildlife, one muskrat and one vole. All wildlife was found at a tailings pond on Suncor’s Base Mine Site.
We will continue to assess the situation closely and provide further updates as required.
Collaboration between the AER, Suncor, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, and Environment and Climate Change Canada to ensure that all safety, wildlife, and environmental requirements are met during the response to the incident.