The Alberta government has announced it is considering a plan to allow oil companies to inject wastewater deep underground. This strategy aims to manage the buildup of toxic tailings in the oilsands.
Tailings consist of water, clay, sand, and a small residue of bitumen left after extracting the majority of bitumen from oilsands in mining operations.
This proposal is one of five suggested by a committee established by the government to explore options for managing tailings.
A recent report from the committee points out that while underground injection of mine water is a viable option, it cannot be the sole method, especially since more than 1.4 trillion liters of tailings were reported as of 2023.
A Suncor tailings pond in Fort McMurray, Alberta, on June 13, 2017.
Jason Franson/ The Canadian Press
The committee suggests that tailings could be stored beneath multiple layers of rock that are impermeable to safeguard drinking water sources.
The committee also advises that Alberta should implement policy adjustments to promote the sharing of wastewater among various oil mining facilities, thereby minimizing reliance on freshwater and reducing the generation of more tailings.
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The government plans to analyze the committee’s suggestions over the next six months before unveiling a new plan for managing tailings.
— More updates coming soon…
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