More than 30 birds found dead at Suncor oilsands tailings ponds sites

The Alberta Energy Regulator says a total of 32 dead waterfowl have been found at two separate oilsands tailings ponds operated by Suncor Energy Inc.

The regulator says Suncor reported 27 dead birds — including 7 grebe, a sensitive bird species — at the Syncrude Mildred Lake Settling Basin, a tailings pond located on the north side of the Mildred Lake oilsands site.

The other five birds, all grebe, were found at the Millennium Mine site tailings pond at Suncor's Base Plant north of Fort McMurray, Alta.

All the birds were found between the dates of May 8 and May 13.

The regulator says regional stakeholders as well as the provincial and federal governments have been notified.

It says it continues to assess the situation and will provide updates as required.

In April, the AER launched an investigation after dozens of bird carcasses were discovered at an oilsands site near Fort McMurray.

Suncor reported 32 dead waterfowl were found at a tailings pond. That number was later revised to 43 birds, as well as two muskrats, one bat and one vole.

Incidents of bird deaths at oilsands tailings ponds over the years include 50 birds that landed at an Imperial Oil tailings area near its Kearl oilsands project in northern Alberta in May 2020. Imperial said at the time it believed it occurred in spite of deterrents because most of the natural water bodies in the area were still frozen.

In January 2019, Syncrude was fined more than $2.7 million after pleading guilty to environmental charges in the deaths of 31 great blue herons at one of its oilsands mines north of Fort McMurray in 2015.

Syncrude was also fined $3 million in 2010 after more than 1,600 ducks died when they landed on a tailings pond in 2008.