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3 white crane birds stand in a grassy marsh. One grazes at the ground. The others look at their surroundings.

Whooping Crane photo by Klaus Nigge/USFWS

Alberta
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Standing up for the protection of migratory birds from tailings ponds

October 7, 2016

Alberta’s Peace-Athabasca Delta is one of the most important bird habitats in North America. The region is made up of wetlands, rivers, and lakes, and provides an important passageway for approximately 1.5 million migratory birds, including the endangered Whooping Crane and 213 other bird species, during their spring and fall migrations. 

But despite its significance for migratory birds, the delta sits next door to one of the biggest industrial projects on the planet, the Alberta oil sands. 

The process of extracting bitumen from the ground results in large tailings ponds that are made up of a mix of water, sand, silt, clay, contaminants and unrecovered hydrocarbons — and are some of the largest in the world. For each barrel of bitumen mined from the oil sands, 1.5 barrels of toxic tailings waste is produced. That means that Alberta’s tailings ponds cover 220 square kilometres and contain 976 billion litres of liquid waste.

It is estimated that 200,000 birds land on oil sands tailings pond each year, with an estimated 5,000 deaths occurring annually. This number could be even higher, as birds soaked in bitumen could sink to the bottom of a tailings pond before detection or fly off after landing to die somewhere else.

The Migratory Birds Convention Act restricts toxic substances from being deposited in areas frequented by migratory birds and the Species at Risk Act forbids the killing or harming bird species listed as endangered or threatened. 

That’s why Ecojustice, along with our friends at the Alberta Wilderness Association and Greenpeace Canada, called on the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to investigate why the federal government does nothing as thousands of migratory birds are killed on tailings ponds every year.

 

What does this outcome mean?

While we are happy that the government took notice and answered some of our questions in their official response, we still think concrete steps need to be taken to protect migratory birds from being killed on tailings ponds. 

Under the Migratory Birds Convention Act and Species at Risk Act, the federal government has the legal tools and the power to hold oil sands operators accountable for harm to migratory birds.

It’s time the government do more to enforce the laws they have at hand to protect these important species. 

Apr 2017
3 Canada geese fly together.
blog

There and back again

Thanks to the help of thousands of supporters, we got some answers about what the government is doing to protect migratory birds from tar sands tailings ponds The trees are budding and flowers are starting to bloom.
Nov 2016
A wetland at sunset has many different birds that fly over head and stand in the shallow water.
blog

A look at some the migratory birds we are trying to protect

In early October, in recognition of World Migratory Bird Day, we worked with Alberta Wilderness Associate and Greenpeace Canada to call on the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to investigate the government’s inaction about migratory bird deaths on tailings ponds.
Nov 2016
A scarecrow floats in a pond. The water reflects the orange fabric of the scarecrow.
blog

Tailings ponds are killing migratory birds, and here’s how

Keith Stewart, Greenpeace Canada climate and energy campaigner, explains the dangers of tar sands tailings ponds pose to birds With the winter months quickly approaching, I’m sure more than a few people will be planning trips somewhere warmer for a week or two.
Oct 2016
3 white crane birds stand in a grassy marsh. One grazes at the ground. The others look at their surroundings.
blog

It’s time to put a stop to bird deaths on tailings ponds

This Migratory Bird Day, take action to ensure migratory birds have safe passage Migratory birds are one of nature’s great wonders.
Oct 2016
Migratory birds, like the Whooping crane migrate twice each year on a path over Alberta’s tar sands on their way to the Peace-Athabasca Delta
press release

Feds failing to prevent migratory bird deaths on tar sands tailings ponds

Environmental groups call for investigation into federal government’s failure to regulate and carry out tailings ponds enforcement actions EDMONTON — Environmental groups are calling on the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to investigate the federal government’s failure to address harm to migratory birds that come into contact with tar sands tailings ponds.