_|CANADA: DUCKS DIE-OFF|_

[Giuseppe]

Ducks dying after landing in toxic pond

Published: April 29, 2008 at 10:07 PM

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta, April 29 (UPI) --

Officials in Canada say they are investigating why deterrents did not keep hundreds of ducks out of a tailings pond, leaving them oil-covered and dying.

The migratory birds landed Monday in the toxic waste pond at the Aurora North Site mine north of Fort McMurray, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Tuesday.

The pond is owned by Syncrude, officials said.

Environment officials said the birds are "clearly heavily oiled" and are not able to fly. Many are dying.

The CBC reported that provincial environment laws require oil sands plants to have deterrents in place to keep migratory birds from landing on the toxic ponds.

"We're very saddened and sorry that this occurred," said Tom Katinas, president and chief executive officer of Syncrude. "We're investigating the incident and cooperating with Alberta government officials to determine how we can prevent a similar incident in the future."

Katinas said the company uses noisemakers during the migratory season to deter birds, but the devices could not be used last week because of severe weather.
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http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/04/29/ducks_dying_after_landing_in_toxic_pond/5528/
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[Giuseppe]

Re: _|CANADA: DUCKS DIE-OFF|_

[CANADA, WILD BIRDS] Canadians Investigate Death of Ducks at Oil-Sands Project

By IAN AUSTEN
Published: May 1, 2008
OTTAWA ?

Canadian federal and provincial government officials were conducting an investigation Wednesday into Syncrude Canada, a large oil-sands project operator, after hundreds of migrating ducks that landed in a company tailings pond died.
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Water used to separate and process the oil-bearing tar in oil-sands deposits ends up in large ponds and becomes a toxic sludge. Alberta officials said Tuesday that Syncrude had failed to operate noisemakers to frighten away birds. The company also appears not to have notified the province?s government about the birds? arrival on Monday.

An anonymous tip eventually alerted officials that about 500 birds were in the pond.

?This is a tragedy and this is unacceptable,? Alberta?s environment minister, Rob Renner, said, ?and we?re going to do everything within our power to find out why it occurred? and ?to prevent it from occurring again.?

Cheryl Robb, a spokeswoman for Alberta Environment, said only five ducks had survived and been recovered. The episode comes as environmental groups in Canada and the United States are pushing for a slowdown or even a halt to further oil-sands development in northern Alberta.

The investigation by Alberta, as well as by Environment Canada, could result in fines up to a million Canadian dollars.

A spokesman for Syncrude, Alain Moore, said unusually heavy snow last week delayed the seasonal use of propane-powered noise machines at one of its three big ponds. Syncrude said this was the first time in its 30 years that a large flock of birds had landed on a tailings pond.
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