Tailings Management Reports
Today the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is publishing the 2022 Annual Fluid Tailings Management Reports, submitted by oil sands operators. Under Directive 085 (D085), part of the regulations that govern fluid tailings from oil sands mining, operators have an obligation to report on the performance of their fluid tailings management annually. These reports are submitted to the AER by April 30, and published annually by May 31. The list of matters the reports must contain is comprehensive, and amongst other areas, covers approved new and legacy profiles with fluid tailings volumes and thresholds. Previous years’ operators’ reports can be found here: Tailings Management Reports for Oil Sands Mining Schemes
At this stage, the operators’ reports are published on our website without commentary or interpretation of the data they contain. Following submission by the operators of their fluid tailings reports, specialists at the AER conduct a comprehensive review of all submissions. The AER publishes an annual report on the state of fluid tailings management for mineable oil sands by October 30. This report will summarize the evaluation of operators’ performance reports, highlight any regulatory actions taken, evaluate regional performance against the tailings management framework outcomes and objectives, and identify operators that are performing well and those who need to make improvements. Last year’s report can be found here: State of Fluid Tailings Management for Mineable Oil Sands, 2021
Operators are required to hold annual forums with Indigenous communities and other stakeholders to enable discussion of tailings management. Details of these forums are also included in the operators’ reports to the AER.
In addition to reporting under D085, operators have reporting requirements for environmental monitoring, dam safety, and incidents.
If you have questions arising from these reports, we recommend you contact the specific operator directly.