tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/tailings-ponds-65819/articlestailings ponds – The Conversation2023-05-07T12:38:08Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2035702023-05-07T12:38:08Z2023-05-07T12:38:08ZAs Alberta’s oilsands continue leaking toxic wastewater, aquatic wildlife face new risks<p>Three months ago, <a href="https://www1.aer.ca/compliancedashboard/enforcement/202302-02_Imperial%20Oil%20Resources%20Limited_Kearl_Order.pdf">5.3 million litres of industrial wastewater was reported to have overflowed from an Imperial Oil storage pond</a> into a muskeg and forested area. This industrial wastewater could have filled more than two Olympic-sized swimming pools, and is now one of the largest known spills of its kind in Alberta’s history. </p>
<p>Then came news of <a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/imperial-oil-kearl-aer/">a separate incident</a> where an unknown amount of industrial wastewater has been leaking from an Imperial Oil tailings pond for the last 12 months. The leakage flows underground and then resurfaces to contaminate surface waters outside the Kearl Oil Sands Processing Plant and Mine. </p>
<p>These waters flow into the Athabasca River, which is part of an important waterway that supports communities in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. In addition to its significance to the Indigenous communities here, this waterway also provides crucial habitats for endangered wildlife species.</p>
<p>While <a href="https://www.imperialoil.ca/en-ca/company/operations/kearl/kearl-epo#:%7E:text=Imperial%20continues%20to%20work%20with,indication%20of%20impact%20to%20wildlife.">Imperial Oil</a> and <a href="https://www.aer.ca/providing-information/news-and-resources/news-and-announcements/announcements/announcement-february-07-2023">Alberta’s energy regulator</a> have reported no impacts on wildlife or waterways yet, the federal government believes the leaking waste is harmful to aquatic life, and <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2023/03/ministers-provide-a-status-update-on-federal-action-to-address-ongoing-situation-at-kearl-oil-sands-mine.html">has ordered Imperial Oil</a> to take immediate action in preventing any further seepage of toxic water.</p>
<p>Scientists, including <a href="https://qe3research.ca/">our group at Queen’s University</a>, have been studying the chemicals in oilsand tailings ponds for decades to better understand their dangers and to protect wildlife from their effects.</p>
<h2>Fish struggle to survive in contaminated waters</h2>
<p>The mining and extraction of <a href="https://www.capp.ca/oil/what-are-the-oil-sands/">bitumen</a> — a heavy crude oil with the consistency of cold molasses — produces industrial wastewater with high concentrations of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2015-0060">several dangerous components</a>, including salts, dissolved organic compounds and heavy metals like cadmium and lead. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521684/original/file-20230418-18-jg306z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A fish in a hand" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521684/original/file-20230418-18-jg306z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521684/original/file-20230418-18-jg306z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521684/original/file-20230418-18-jg306z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521684/original/file-20230418-18-jg306z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521684/original/file-20230418-18-jg306z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521684/original/file-20230418-18-jg306z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521684/original/file-20230418-18-jg306z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Wastewater chemicals are toxic to fathead minnows, an important prey species in the oilsands region.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fathead_Minnow_(8741579480).jpg">(NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research and <a href="https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-energy-regulator-suncor-has-reported-dead-birds-at-oilsands-tailings-pond-1.6367072">real-world incidents</a> have found that oilsands wastewater is toxic to wildlife including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.024">mammals, fish, frogs and birds</a>.</p>
<p>A group of organic compounds, referred to as naphthenic acids, are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b02586">responsible for most of the toxicity</a> of wastewater. These compounds exist naturally in the region, but accumulate to harmful, unnatural levels in wastewater during the mining process. Despite this, environmental guidelines for “safe” naphthenic acid concentrations do not exist. </p>
<p>The concentrations of these acids in wastewater are studied to determine the extent of the threats to wildlife, and in particular to aquatic species, as their habitats are extremely susceptible to accumulating harmful pollutants.</p>
<p>Studies have found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.04.024">fathead minnow</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2015.08.022">walleye</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2005.07.009">yellow perch</a> experience increased mortality, physical deformities and reduced growth when exposed to naphthenic acids. These are all species commonly found in the oilsands region.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A researcher samples the content of tanks as a part of a field experiment" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524228/original/file-20230503-27-zpuo5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524228/original/file-20230503-27-zpuo5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524228/original/file-20230503-27-zpuo5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524228/original/file-20230503-27-zpuo5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524228/original/file-20230503-27-zpuo5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524228/original/file-20230503-27-zpuo5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524228/original/file-20230503-27-zpuo5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A researcher samples tanks as a part of a field experiment testing the effects of oilsands wastewater on aquatic animals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Chloe Robinson)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In one investigation, these chemicals <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2012.03.002">altered hormone levels and reduced spawning success in fish</a>. This effect could have population-level consequences in the wild. Meanwhile, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5314">in another study</a>, the fish showed reduced survival and abnormal swimming behaviours, even after being held in clean lake water for one month following a week-long exposure to sublethal levels of naphthenic acids.</p>
<p>The science clearly suggests that fish are negatively impacted by wastewater contaminants and even short-term contact can have lasting effects on animals in the affected area.</p>
<h2>Canada’s declining amphibians face new threats</h2>
<p>Amphibians are one of the most <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108022">rapidly disappearing groups of animals in Canada</a>, as their wetland habitats often face the threat of pollution, among other stressors. Research on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2012.640092">wood frogs</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2012.04.002">Northern leopard frogs</a> has raised numerous concerns. </p>
<p>Like with fish, studies have found that exposure to wastewater and naphthenic acids can <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2015.1074970">interfere with sexual development</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coac030">impair breeding</a> in adult frogs. Tadpoles exposed to these chemicals are more likely to die, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106435">behave abnormally when escaping predators</a> and are less likely to develop into frogs.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120455">One of our studies</a> found that exposure to these chemicals can also cause developing frogs to develop striking malformations, including kinked spines and missing toes.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521677/original/file-20230418-14-n1z16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Malformed tadpoles with missing toes and shorter limbs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521677/original/file-20230418-14-n1z16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521677/original/file-20230418-14-n1z16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=296&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521677/original/file-20230418-14-n1z16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=296&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521677/original/file-20230418-14-n1z16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=296&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521677/original/file-20230418-14-n1z16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521677/original/file-20230418-14-n1z16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521677/original/file-20230418-14-n1z16.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tadpoles exposed to wastewater chemicals (right) show malformations not present in tadpoles raised in clean water (left) like shorter limbs, swollen bodies, and missing toes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Chloe Robinson)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Science suggests that if pollutants reach dangerous levels due to spills, it could impair the survival and health of aquatic wildlife in affected areas. Over time, these impacts could cause wildlife population declines and even local species extinctions. Long-term monitoring will be crucial to determine the full impact of these spills.</p>
<h2>A need for transparent oilsands waste management</h2>
<p>In addition to wildlife, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-019-0059-6">industrial activities in the oilsands region have affected the Indigenous communities</a> over the years as well.</p>
<p>Indigenous Nations located downstream of recent oil spills in Alberta — including the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-first-nation-angry-at-imperial-s-silence-while-tailings-pond-leaked-for-9-months-1.6766007">Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation</a> and <a href="https://www.mikisewcree.ca/press-release-mcfn-sounds-alarm-bells-following-albertas-largest-oil-sands-seepage/">Mikisew Cree First Nation</a> — voiced their concern over this pollution and its impact on the plants and animals they harvest for food.</p>
<p>While these communities rely on the lands and waters near the spill, they <a href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/03/03/news/alberta-oilsands-spill-hidden-first-nation-act-environmental-racism">were only notified of the contamination</a> when the provincial regulator issued an <a href="https://www1.aer.ca/compliancedashboard/enforcement/202302-02_Imperial%20Oil%20Resources%20Limited_Kearl_Order.pdf">environmental protection order</a> in February.</p>
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<p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9601276/alberta-energy-regulator-emergency-response-kearl/">The lack of transparency and delayed responses</a> surrounding these current spills raises questions about how many undocumented incidents could be taking place every year.</p>
<p>In April, while Alberta continued to deal with the aftermath of these incidents, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/04/18/suncor-reports-release-of-water-from-sediment-pond-on-alberta-oilsands-mine.html">another 6 million litres of water</a> spilled from a Suncor settling pond into the Athabasca River. The current method of managing wastewater is neither safe nor sustainable. </p>
<p>Change is needed to ensure that economic activities do not jeopardize the environment further. <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/first-nations-blast-alberta-energy-regulator-at-hearing-minister-promises-reform-1.6813307">As government, industry and Indigenous partners begin the process of building new management and monitoring plans,</a> which will likely include guidelines for <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bakx-oilsands-tailings-release-mining-effluent-regulations-1.6271537">treating and releasing oilsands wastewater back into waterways</a>, it is important that the science is not forgotten.</p>
<p>Evidence-informed policies, built on what we know about the toxic extent of wastewater, have the potential to make accidental spills, and the environmental and social injustices they perpetuate, a thing of the past.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203570/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Diane Orihel received funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for her lab's research on the effects of oilsands contaminants on aquatic biota.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chloe Robinson received funding from Queen's University (Craigie Fellowship), and the Government of Ontario (Ontario Graduate Scholarship). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris K. Elvidge is affiliated with the Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory at Carleton University. </span></em></p>As toxic water continues to spill from tailings ponds across mining developments, decades of scientific research provides evidence of how wildlife will be affected.Diane Orihel, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology & School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, OntarioChloe Robinson, Junior Research Associate, Experimental Ecology and Ecotoxicology Research Team, Queen's University, OntarioChris K. Elvidge, Postdoctoral Researcher in Freshwater Ecology, Carleton UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2016312023-03-21T20:49:57Z2023-03-21T20:49:57ZOSFI’s new guidelines: A step toward making banks and insurers more conscious of their climate impacts<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516492/original/file-20230320-1510-qx10gt.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C7%2C4778%2C3312&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions has released guidelines for financial institutions to address climate change risks. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>After an extensive consultation process, the organization that supervises banks and large insurance companies in Canada — the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) — has <a href="https://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/Eng/fi-if/rg-ro/gdn-ort/gl-ld/Pages/b15-dft.aspx">released guidelines for financial institutions</a> to address climate change. This is timely, considering banks and insurers are <a href="https://www.ran.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/BOCC_2022_vSPREAD-1.pdf">massive funders of the fossil fuel industry</a>. </p>
<p>The release of the guidelines, called the B-15, comes more than a year after a <a href="https://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/eng/fi-if/in-ai/Pages/clrsk-mgm_let.aspx">January 2022 pilot study</a> by Canada’s central bank and OSFI on how resilient financial institutions would be <a href="https://theconversation.com/alberta-oilpatch-may-face-lending-crunch-as-financial-regulators-worry-about-the-risks-of-climate-change-175988">under new climate policies</a>. </p>
<p>The study found that the creditworthiness of oilsands producers is expected to fall over the next few decades. B-15 appears to address this concern by accommodating the needs of all stakeholders, including oilsands producers. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/Eng/osfi-bsif/med/Pages/b15-nr.aspx">development of B-15</a> is the result of one of the most ambitious consultations in OSFI history. It received nearly 4,400 submissions from financial institutions, non-regulated entities and other organizations and over 4,300 individuals.</p>
<p>But do the guidelines succeed in addressing the concerns of all stakeholders? And what, if anything, is missing?</p>
<p>Over the past 40 years, I have been involved in the formulation of financial sector policy, worked in a provincial financial institution and been a student of financial institution policy development. I have an appreciation for the role financial institutions play in modern economies and the importance of up-to-date policy frameworks and vigilant supervision.</p>
<h2>Sustainability reporting</h2>
<p>Sustainability reporting and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sustainable-investing-esg-under-scrutiny-2022-7">environmental, social and governance investing</a> have come under scrutiny recently, creating a surge in reporting standards ranging from industry-supported standards to third-party independent ones. These variations have made it difficult for analysts to understand how financial institutions are contributing to climate change.</p>
<p>The proliferation of reporting standards are making it virtually impossible for international bodies, like the United Nations or the Financial Stability Board, to meet public expectations about risks caused by greenhouse gas-emitting corporations.</p>
<p>To address this issue, international banks joined the <a href="https://www.unepfi.org/net-zero-banking/commitment/frequently-asked-questions/">UN-sponsored Net-Zero Banking Alliance</a> in 2021. Members of the alliance have committed to aligning their loaning and investment activities with net-zero emissions by 2050.</p>
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<p>This has led to the creation of rating agencies that inform investors about climate risks and the performance of financial institutions. A November 2022 report <a href="https://www.morningstar.ca/ca/news/229362/canadian-banks-score-poorly-on-net-zero-transition.aspx">shed light on how poorly Canadian banks were progressing</a> on their net-zero strategies.</p>
<h2>Key takeaways from B-15</h2>
<p>The OSFI wants more detailed summary information about financial markets and the governance of federally regulated financial institutions. The guidelines, which are quite general, emphasize objectivity, reliability and consistency of data reported. Here are the main takeaways:</p>
<p><strong>1. Common definitions.</strong> Since federally regulated financial institutions are expected to understand climate-related risks and how to mitigate them, a common definition of climate risks is essential. The OSFI categorizes climate-related into two types of risks. </p>
<p>First, physical or operating risks include climate-related extremes and events, including mortality risks and physical risks. Second are transition risks, which include uncertainties about how climate-adjustment policies will unfold via government policies, legislation, greenhouse gas regulation, technological change and varying energy demands.</p>
<p><strong>2. Climate-related disclosures.</strong> The guidelines outline principles for federally regulated financial institutions to disclose climate-related risks and opportunities. These principles include relevance, specificity, comprehensiveness, understandability, balance, reliability, consistency and verification. Companies should ensure disclosures meet certain principles and expectations without overwhelming users with unnecessary information.</p>
<p><strong>3. Proportionality and materiality considerations.</strong> These terms refer to the fact that the guidelines are not one size fits all and largely depend on the size of financial institutions and their exposure to climate-related risks. Proportionality and materiality are necessary to understand the impact of catastrophic events, like a major breach from an oilsands tailings pond.</p>
<p><strong>4. Adequate climate-related capital and liquidity requirements.</strong> Regulators believe climate-related risks have the potential to cause financial risk within institutions. Because of this, federally regulated financial institutions are expected to incorporate climate-related risks into <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/capitaladequacyratio.asp">capital adequacy</a> and <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/solvency.asp">solvency assessments</a> to prevent bank runs and insolvency.</p>
<h2>Gaps in the guidelines</h2>
<p>One of the gaps in the B-15 guidelines is that it fails to provide guidance on assessing pre-existing and future environmental liabilities.</p>
<p>For example, one of the most vexing issues for lenders to oilsands producers is assessing the longevity of reserves and whether <a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/what-are-stranded-assets/">borrowers’ assets will eventually become stranded</a>, potentially forcing creditors to pay for environmental cleanups. </p>
<p>In the <a href="https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/17474/index.do">ground-breaking Redwater case</a>, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that, when oil companies go bankrupt, creditors are required to step in and clean up old oil and gas wells before any lenders are paid back. This is why Canadian lending institutions are so against putting these companies into bankruptcy.</p>
<p>At present, security posted by oilsands producers for future mine cleanup depends on how close oilsands mines are to the end of their reserve life. This determination is not as simple as it might appear.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pumpjack sitting in a wheal field" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516494/original/file-20230320-2935-cr0ayg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516494/original/file-20230320-2935-cr0ayg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516494/original/file-20230320-2935-cr0ayg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516494/original/file-20230320-2935-cr0ayg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516494/original/file-20230320-2935-cr0ayg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516494/original/file-20230320-2935-cr0ayg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516494/original/file-20230320-2935-cr0ayg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A de-commissioned pumpjack is shown at a well head on an oil and gas installation near Cremona, Alta., in October 2016.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Under the Alberta <a href="https://www.aer.ca/regulating-development/project-closure/liability-management-programs-and-processes/mine-financial-security-program">Mine Financial Security program</a>, financial deposits are required to ensure any financial burden from abandonment and reclamation remains with the energy companies that own them.</p>
<p>At present, there is <a href="https://static.aer.ca/prd/documents/liability/MFSP_Liability.pdf">$1.55 billion in security held for liabilities</a> estimated by the Alberta Energy Regulator to total $33.7 billion, a number that <a href="https://www.pembina.org/blog/alberta-government-has-transparency-problem-when-it-comes-oil-and-gas-liabilities">critics believe is seriously underestimated</a>. </p>
<p>However, under the regulator’s rules, an oilsands producer is only required to post an operating deposit when there are less than 15 years of reserves remaining. So long as the reserves are provable, climate change policies, environmental liabilities and economic viability appear irrelevant to the Alberta Energy Regulator.</p>
<p>This is highly problematic in the current climate of mistrust that has arisen from the <a href="https://financialpost.com/commodities/energy/oil-gas/ottawa-orders-imperial-oil-stop-tailings-leak-kearl-oilsands">behaviour of the Alberta Energy Regulator</a> concerning a large toxic spill at the Imperial Kearl Lake tailings ponds. The provincial regulator waited months to publicly disclose that waste was escaping from the pond and seeping into groundwater.</p>
<p>A second gap is the issue of third-party verification of institutions’ reporting. The current guideline does not require this, leaving it up to the institutions to handle themselves.</p>
<h2>A step in the right direction</h2>
<p>The total credit exposure of Canadian banks <a href="https://www.investorsforparis.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Full-Report-Card-1.pdf">is estimated to be $164 billion</a> — less than 15 per cent of <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bigfivebanks.asp">Canada’s five biggest banks’ capital</a>.</p>
<p>That said, the <a href="https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/black-box-accounting-discounting-and-disclosure-practices-of-deco">disclosure practices of fossil fuel producers on decommissioning environmental liabilities</a> is opaque and inconsistent.</p>
<p>Should the banks inherit stranded assets, not only will they have to write off their investments, but depending on the legal regime, they may be exposed to enormous additional costs of cleaning up tailings ponds. Otherwise, this bill may fall to taxpaying Canadians.</p>
<p>OSFI’s guidelines are a small step towards making financial decision-makers more conscious of the influence they have on climate outcomes, but there is still work to be done when it comes to climate-risk policies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201631/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert L. Ascah is a member of the Alberta NDP.</span></em></p>OSFI’s guidelines are a small step towards making financial decision-makers more conscious of their influence on climate outcomes, but there is still work to be done.Robert L. Ascah, Research Fellow, The Parkland Institute, University of AlbertaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1948892022-12-01T18:55:29Z2022-12-01T18:55:29ZDespite soaring profits, oil companies are not paying enough for their environmental damage<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498076/original/file-20221129-24-gs4o1p.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=215%2C35%2C3694%2C2485&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A pumpjack draws out oil and gas from a well head near Calgary in October 2022. There are thousands of inactive oil and gas wells in the province that have not been properly decommissioned.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/despite-soaring-profits--oil-companies-are-not-paying-enough-for-their-environmental-damage" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>At the end of the third quarter reporting season in October, the Big Four oilsands producers continued to report record profit levels. Collectively, <a href="https://www.cenovus.com/News-and-Stories/News-releases/2022/2546247">Cenovus</a>, <a href="https://investingnews.com/canadian-natural-resources-limited-announces-2022-third-quarter-results/">CNRL</a>, <a href="https://news.imperialoil.ca/news-releases/news-releases/2022/Imperial-announces-third-quarter-2022-financial-and-operating-results/default.aspx">Imperial Oil</a> and <a href="https://sustainability-prd-cdn.suncor.com/-/media/project/suncor/files/news-releases/2022/2022-11-02-news-release-earnings-q3-2022-en.pdf?modified=20221103001118">Suncor</a> earned $5.8 billion in the third quarter and $23.1 billion in the first nine months of 2022. The average return on capital during the period was almost 25 per cent. </p>
<p>The only minor hiccup was <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9246922/suncor-3q-report-net-loss-fort-hills-writedown/">Suncor’s reported loss</a> — primarily due to a <a href="https://sustainability-prd-cdn.suncor.com/-/media/project/suncor/files/news-releases/2022/2022-11-02-news-release-earnings-q3-2022-en.pdf">non-cash impairment charge of $3.4 billion</a> against its Fort Hills assets. Despite the write-down, Suncor still <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9229869/suncor-teck-deal-fort-hills-oilsands/">spent $1 billion buying Teck Resources’ stake in the Fort Hills oilsands project</a>.</p>
<p>However, apart from Suncor’s purchase, these companies are not reinvesting in their core businesses. This cash bonanza has implications for Canadian consumers, government taxation and royalty policies and environmental policy.</p>
<h2>Consumers left in the lurch</h2>
<p>Unlike bank prime lending rates <a href="https://wowa.ca/banks/prime-rates-canada">that change every six weeks or so</a>, Canadians heavily dependent on their gas-motored cars or trucks face difficult choices in balancing their budgets with higher housing costs.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1810000701&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.1&pickMembers%5B1%5D=3.1&pickMembers%5B2%5D=4.1&cubeTimeFrame.startYear=2020&cubeTimeFrame.endYear=2021&referencePeriods=20200101%2C20210101">Statistics Canada</a>, housing accounts for more than 30 per cent of a household’s expenses, and transportation accounts for 16 per cent. </p>
<p><a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221116/dq221116a-eng.htm">Year-over-year inflation for gasoline in October 2022 was 17.8 per cent</a>. The homeowners’ replacement cost index, a proxy for the price of new homes, increased by 6.9 per cent. Mortgage interest costs <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/how-the-relationship-between-interest-rate-hikes-and-inflation-plays-out-in-canada-1.6155914">increased 11.4 per cent over last year</a> — the highest increase since February 1991.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person fuels up their car at an Esso gas station" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498071/original/file-20221129-24-6psrvz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498071/original/file-20221129-24-6psrvz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498071/original/file-20221129-24-6psrvz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498071/original/file-20221129-24-6psrvz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498071/original/file-20221129-24-6psrvz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498071/original/file-20221129-24-6psrvz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498071/original/file-20221129-24-6psrvz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A motorist fuels up a vehicle at an Esso gas station after the price of a litre of regular gasoline reached a new high of $2.40 in Vancouver in October 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Canadians who have personal vehicles, those who rely on natural gas for heating and people who have mortgages are under enormous strain. <a href="https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/07/01/ontario-gas-fuel-tax-cut-in-effect/">Ontario</a> and <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-danielle-smith-inflation-plan/">Alberta</a> have reduced gasoline taxes, but these are short-term political measures that support the fossil fuel industry by maintaining demand for gas and diesel. </p>
<p>The wait times for electric vehicles is up to one year <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/10/29/want-to-buy-an-electric-vehicle-in-toronto-good-luck-star-investigation-finds-wait-times-of-up-to-a-year.html">in Toronto</a> and well into 2024 for <a href="https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/11/11/canada-electric-car-delays/">buyers in Vancouver</a>.</p>
<p>Oilsands shareholders, who are mostly foreigners, are enjoying huge profits while consumers are bearing the brunt of rising energy prices. </p>
<p>The majority of the shares <a href="http://abpolecon.ca/2022/09/07/who-owns-the-big-four/">for Canada’s biggest oil companies are held by institutional investors</a>. These Canadian institutional investors, like TD Investment Management, hold anywhere from a mere three per cent of the shares of Imperial, to nearly 20 per cent of CNRL’s shares.</p>
<h2>Big Oil isn’t reinvesting profits</h2>
<p>During the first nine months of 2022, $6.7 billion was paid out in dividends, with <a href="https://investingnews.com/canadian-natural-resources-limited-announces-2022-third-quarter-results/">nearly two-thirds by CNRL</a>. During the same period, $15.6 billion shares were repurchased. These share buybacks reward shareholders because reducing the shares outstanding means higher earnings per share for shareholders.</p>
<p>These buybacks also signal to the market that the company’s board and management feel these purchases are the best way to manage capital and cash flow. Significantly it also means that the company is not investing to either increase or sustain operating cash flow. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A high angle shot of a building that says Suncor Energy Centre on it" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498068/original/file-20221129-9456-m120p3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498068/original/file-20221129-9456-m120p3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498068/original/file-20221129-9456-m120p3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498068/original/file-20221129-9456-m120p3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498068/original/file-20221129-9456-m120p3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498068/original/file-20221129-9456-m120p3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498068/original/file-20221129-9456-m120p3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Despite Suncor’s net loss in the third reporting quarter, it still bought out Teck Resources’ stake in the Fort Hills oilsands project for approximately $1 billion.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In addition to share buybacks and dividends, Cenovus, CNRL, Imperial Oil and Suncor have collectively repaid $10 billion in debt. Based on their financial statements, I estimate $32.5 billion of available cash flow was not reinvested in the business. In fact, during 2022, all four companies’ depreciation, depletion, and amortization — which measures the non-cash costs of assets aging — exceeded capital investment by about $1.5 billion.</p>
<p>According to an <a href="https://arcenergyinst.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/221115-Energy-Charts.pdf">ARC Energy Research Institute report</a>, in 2015, the Canadian industry’s after-tax cash flow was $30 billion and $55 billion was reinvested in conventional and bitumen production. In 2022, with an estimated after-tax cash flow of $152 billion, ARC Energy Research Institute estimates that only $32 billion and $10 billion will be reinvested in conventional and bitumen production, respectively.</p>
<h2>Governments are benefiting</h2>
<p>The federal and Alberta governments are enjoying a bonanza due to higher taxes on profits and royalties. I estimate the Big Four paid about $15.2 billion in royalties to provincial governments so far this year.</p>
<p><a href="http://abpolecon.ca/2022/09/02/is-oil-sands-consolidation-a-threat-to-alberta-democracy/">I have estimated that these four companies</a> will be responsible for at least a quarter of Alberta’s own source revenue (excluding federal transfers) this fiscal year. Based on financial statements from each oil company, I estimate their taxes, as a per cent of net income for the period, run from 13 per cent for Suncor (due to its write-downs) to 36 per cent for Cenovus.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-big-four-oilsands-companies-influence-threatens-alberta-democracy-argues-political-scientist-188567">The Big Four oilsands companies' influence threatens Alberta democracy, argues political scientist</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<hr>
<p>Some of the CEOs of the Big Four have not been shy at pointing out how much tax and royalties they are paying to governments. <a href="https://www.jwnenergy.com/article/2022/11/4/canadian-natural-touts-its-economic-contribution-a/">CNRL president Tim McKay</a> and the leaders of Cenovus and Imperial Oil have also stressed the size of their companies’ contributions to government coffers. </p>
<p>The Alberta treasury’s dependence on the royalties and taxes from only four companies present a major problem, as identified by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith last year in a <a href="https://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/AF16_AB-Key-Challenges_Smith.pdf">paper for the School of Public Policy</a> when she was <a href="https://albertaenterprisegroup.com/2021/04/23/press-release-aeg-appoints-danielle-smith-president/">head of the Alberta Enterprise Group</a>. It will be interesting to see how Smith approaches this problem in next February’s budget. </p>
<h2>Environmental liabilities</h2>
<p>While the oilsands industry divests, it hopes to have federal taxpayers — and possibly those in Alberta — pay the cost of <a href="https://www.bennettjones.com/Blogs-Section/Canadian-Budget-Proposes-New-Investment-Tax-Credit-For-Carbon-Capture-Utilization-and-Storage">subsidizing carbon capture and underground storage</a>. This capital investment, now promised by the <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-oil-sands-net-zero-projects/">Pathways Alliance to invest $24 billion</a>, remains the industry’s sole hope of continuing to operate past 2030.</p>
<p>At the same time, the industry has booked $10.6 billion in decommissioning liabilities for oil and gas wells, pipelines and facilities. There are <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/oil-and-gas-liabilities-management.aspx">thousands of abandoned oil wells and decommissioned pipelines</a> in Alberta alone. </p>
<p>However, annual expenditures by the Big Four to address environmental liabilities run less than $1 billion and are not separately recorded in the statement of expenses. There is a clear gap between the costs of environmental damage done by these companies and the amount they are required to mitigate.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A close-up shot of a man in a suit and glasses speaking into a microphone" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498072/original/file-20221129-14-blhiqv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498072/original/file-20221129-14-blhiqv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498072/original/file-20221129-14-blhiqv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498072/original/file-20221129-14-blhiqv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498072/original/file-20221129-14-blhiqv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498072/original/file-20221129-14-blhiqv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498072/original/file-20221129-14-blhiqv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Alberta Auditor General Doug Wylie speaks about the findings from an independent investigation related to the International Centre of Regulatory Excellence at the Alberta Energy Regulator in Edmonton in October 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.oag.ab.ca/news/oag-news-release-june-2021-reports/">a June 2021 news release from Alberta’s auditor general</a>:
“After six years of analysis, the department has not decided if and how the security calculation should change.”</p>
<p>The auditor general <a href="https://www.oag.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/oag-aep-aer-trans-env-liabilites-fs-june-2021-report.pdf">also found a lack of clarity between the Department of Energy and the Alberta Energy Regulator</a>. The Alberta government reportedly “has not adopted a consistent ranking system for contaminated sites to determine which are a priority to clean up.”</p>
<p>The Alberta government has failed to ensure environmental liabilities are adequately accounted for and that progress is being made to <a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/oilsands-tailings-ponds-growth/">address the province’s massive tailings ponds made up of byproducts from oilsands mining</a>. Incredibly, when asked about the oil industry’s record cash flows and remediation liabilities, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8254763/alberta-oil-price-spike-abandoned-well-cleanup/">former energy minister Sonya Savage stated</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The current spike in oil prices isn’t enough reason to require the industry to spend more on cleaning up the tens of thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells in the province.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As a recent <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-alberta-oil-economic-boom/"><em>Globe and Mail</em> article</a> pointed out, Alberta’s present good fortune is a mirage because the industry is not re-investing. This has serious ramifications for Alberta’s rural economy, and the Fort McMurray region in particular. </p>
<p>The main driver in Alberta’s economy over the past two decades has been the oilsands industry — <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-provincial-sales-tax-is-the-solution-to-albertas-fiscal-roller-coaster-191147">if bitumen’s future is uncertain, so is Alberta’s economy</a>. </p>
<p>Alberta, like a one-company town, faces a clear and present danger. Is there a Plan B to tilt Alberta away from its bitumen addiction? How will Smith reduce reliance on oilsands royalties? These are pressing questions that must be answered by the Alberta government.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194889/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert L. Ascah does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Alberta government is failing to ensure environmental liabilities are adequately accounted for and that progress is being made to address the province’s massive tailings ponds.Robert L. Ascah, Research Fellow, The Parkland Institute, University of AlbertaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1578402021-05-02T12:41:31Z2021-05-02T12:41:31ZFrom making wine to managing mine waste, clay is important for many industries<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397445/original/file-20210427-21-1jamobb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C9%2C3008%2C1985&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The unique properties of clays make them suitable for a wide variety of applications.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The discovery and use of clays dates back to <a href="https://ceramics.org/about/what-are-engineered-ceramics-and-glass/brief-history-of-ceramics-and-glass">30,000 years ago</a>, making clays one of the oldest materials used in society. Clays are naturally occurring materials that were first used to make pottery and are now used abundantly in the manufacturing of goods, including ceramics, cosmetics and building materials. Clays also play <a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/s00706-019-02454-y">an important role in the “terroir,” the features a wine develops based on where the grapes are grown</a>.</p>
<p>Clay has unique properties that are useful in industries ranging from manufacturing to construction. But these properties can also pose a challenge in managing mine waste.</p>
<p>Clays and clay minerals are tiny particles with a unique <a href="https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/ja/ja_barton002.pdf">plate-like structure less than two microns</a> in size (for comparison, the average thickness of a strand of human hair is about 70 microns). The small size of clay minerals and their distinct structure give them unique properties, and different types of clay minerals can exhibit diverse characteristics. </p>
<h2>Properties of clays</h2>
<p>There are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/24749508.2017.1361128">four main groups of clay mineral</a>: kaolinite, illite, vermiculite and smectite. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397447/original/file-20210427-19-1sscsbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An illustration of the molecular structure of kaolinite clay" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397447/original/file-20210427-19-1sscsbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397447/original/file-20210427-19-1sscsbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397447/original/file-20210427-19-1sscsbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397447/original/file-20210427-19-1sscsbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397447/original/file-20210427-19-1sscsbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397447/original/file-20210427-19-1sscsbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397447/original/file-20210427-19-1sscsbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Clay minerals are classified based on the arrangement of their molecules and layers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Smectite clays for example, have the greatest ability to swell, often expanding several times their initial volume. Bentonite clay, a smectite, can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2011.10.003">swell up to 18 times its initial volume</a> by taking water into its interlayer, the distance between two layers of clays. This property makes it useful as a spill absorbent, but also means that it is very difficult to remove water from clay in dewatering processes, as in the case of mine waste management.</p>
<p>In contrast, kaolin, or china clay, does not swell and has low permeability, making it preferable for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1179/1745823414Y.0000000008">producing porcelain</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-1317(91)90015-2">improving the printability of paper</a>. </p>
<p>Clays also develop plasticity when wet, giving them the ability to stretch without breaking or tearing — a critical property for pottery sculpting. The <a href="http://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10554.70086">drying and firing processes</a> cause the water molecules to escape from between the clay sheets, and irreversibly changing the chemical structure of the clays, turning the piece into a hard and long-lasting pottery piece.</p>
<h2>Clay and wine</h2>
<p>Vineyard owners use their knowledge of clay content in the soil to help them make decisions about planting and irrigation so that they can improve the quality of the wine they produce. The soil composition in vineyards influences the drainage levels and the uptake of minerals and nutrients for the roots. Sandy soils are great for drainage, and clays, which have a net negative charge, help <a href="http://www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/cation-exchange-capacity">retain positively charged nutrients including calcium, magnesium and potassium</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397755/original/file-20210429-17-1esa900.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Vineyards with red clay soil" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397755/original/file-20210429-17-1esa900.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397755/original/file-20210429-17-1esa900.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397755/original/file-20210429-17-1esa900.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397755/original/file-20210429-17-1esa900.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397755/original/file-20210429-17-1esa900.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397755/original/file-20210429-17-1esa900.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397755/original/file-20210429-17-1esa900.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The composition of the soil and clays that grapes are grown in can affect the taste of the wine. Vineyard owners can use this knowledge to produce specific notes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Clays also hold water quite well, which can be helpful in dry climates to keep the soil cooler and wetter. Certain vine varieties produce the best results in a particular soil type. For example, clay soils tend to produce <a href="https://sommelierschoiceawards.com/en/blog/insights-1/soil-types-that-matter-for-grape-growing-164.htm">bold and muscular red wines like sangiovese and merlot</a> and <a href="https://www.winc.com/blog/how-soil-type-affects-your-wine">white wines like chardonnay</a>.</p>
<h2>Clay in mine waste</h2>
<p>While clays can be valuable materials in certain industrial processes, they can also cause problems in mine waste management. For example, <a href="https://www.capp.ca/explore/tailings-ponds/">oilsands tailings</a> — produced from the surface mining of oilsands — consist of a mixture of water, sand, fine particles, clays and residual bitumen. </p>
<p>These tailings are stored in ponds, where the heavier sands settle quickly to the bottom and the fine particles and clays remain suspended. The water-loving nature of clays means that a lot of water is trapped in the tailings, making consolidation and subsequent reclamation very challenging. </p>
<p>As of 2018, there are <a href="https://static.aer.ca/prd/documents/oilsands/2018-State-Fluid-Tailings-Management-Mineable-OilSands.pdf">more than 1.2 trillion litres of fluid tailings</a> accumulated in these ponds in Alberta. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398129/original/file-20210430-21-e9zkiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Alternating stripes of bitumen, water, sand and grass at a mine's tailings pond" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398129/original/file-20210430-21-e9zkiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/398129/original/file-20210430-21-e9zkiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398129/original/file-20210430-21-e9zkiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398129/original/file-20210430-21-e9zkiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398129/original/file-20210430-21-e9zkiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398129/original/file-20210430-21-e9zkiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/398129/original/file-20210430-21-e9zkiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bitumen, water, sand and grass at a mine’s tailings pond, where the fine particles and clays gradually settle. Oilsands tailings are waste materials produced from extracting bitumen from the Alberta oilsands.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This fluid tailings problem is not exclusive to oilsands as all forms of mining — such as copper, potash and diamond — produce tailings. As the <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/05/11/mineral-production-to-soar-as-demand-for-clean-energy-increases">global production of minerals and metals continue to rise</a>, so does the production of tailings. </p>
<p>Clay measurement methods will become increasingly important to monitor and optimize tailings management strategies.</p>
<h2>Treatment methods</h2>
<p>Many tailings treatment solutions modify clay properties to accelerate dewatering and consolidation, and so understanding the clays present is critical for any treatment methods to work. </p>
<p>Clays can be characterized based on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/24749508.2017.1361128">particle size, mineral type, surface area, cation exchange capacity, plasticity and flow behaviour</a>. In a laboratory setting <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282662304_DEMYSTIFYING_THE_METHYLENE_BLUE_INDEX">used in the oilsands industry for decades</a>, methylene blue dye can help determine some of these important properties.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397161/original/file-20210426-21-1xn4rfz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397161/original/file-20210426-21-1xn4rfz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397161/original/file-20210426-21-1xn4rfz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397161/original/file-20210426-21-1xn4rfz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397161/original/file-20210426-21-1xn4rfz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397161/original/file-20210426-21-1xn4rfz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397161/original/file-20210426-21-1xn4rfz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397161/original/file-20210426-21-1xn4rfz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">NAIT researchers are integrating robotics, sensors and optical systems to automate the methylene blue index laboratory method.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Author provided)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and its partners are developing an <a href="https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/science-data/funding-partnerships/funding-opportunities/current-investments/development-line-active-clay-analyzer-canadian-mining-industry/22904">automated clay analyzer</a> based on the <a href="https://www.astm.org/Standards/C837.htm">methylene blue index method</a> that would make it possible for in-field clay measurement. This would optimize treatment processes, translating to cost savings and faster reclamation of the tailings ponds.</p>
<p>From helping to create reclaimable tailings to producing a bottle of quality wine, advances in clay measurement can bring many economic and environmental benefits.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/157840/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Ng receives funding from Natural Resources Canada's Clean Growth Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Institute for Oil Sands Innovation (IOSI).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrea Sedgwick receives funding from Natural Resources Canada"s Clean Growth Program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Alberta Innovates, Alberta Jobs, Economy and Innovation and the Institute for Oil Sands Innovation (IOSI).</span></em></p>Throughout human history, clay has played a role in many different industries. Its unique properties make it suited for a wide applications in widely ranging industries.Jason Ng, Research Associate, Oil Sands Sustainability, Northern Alberta Institute of TechnologyAndrea Sedgwick, Applied Research Chair, Oil Sands Sustainability, Northern Alberta Institute of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1481582020-12-09T21:41:47Z2020-12-09T21:41:47ZHow plants can help clean up oilsands tailing ponds<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373131/original/file-20201204-23-1vjxo3s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C12%2C1632%2C1259&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Oilsands tailings are a mixture of water, suspended sand, clay and residual bitumen.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Dan Prat/Canva)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For every barrel of bitumen extracted in Alberta, about <a href="https://www.pembinainstitute.org/reports/oilsands-metrics.pdf">1.5 barrels of non-recyclable tailings volume are produced</a>. In 2019 alone, an estimated <a href="https://www.oilsandsmagazine.com/projects/bitumen-production">1.5 million barrels of tailings were produced</a>, which would take <a href="https://www.oilsandsmagazine.com/technical/mining/tailings-ponds">five to 10 years</a> to cleanup and return to the landscape. </p>
<p>As of 2017, more than <a href="http://osip.alberta.ca/map/">1.2 billion cubic metres of fluid tailings have accumulated</a> in the northern Alberta boreal forest region, enough to bury the city of Edmonton under more than 1.8 metres of fluid waste material. </p>
<p>Tailings represent the largest liability for the oilsands. An investigation by the Alberta Energy Regulator estimates the total cleanup costs of oilsands mining operations facilities is around $130 billion and <a href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2018/11/23/news/alberta-officials-are-signalling-they-have-no-idea-how-clean-toxic-oilsands-tailings">critics have voiced concerns that an economic downturn could see these costs dropped on the shoulders of taxpayers</a>.</p>
<p>Yet <a href="https://www.capp.ca/explore/land-reclamation/">oilsands operators remain committed</a> to restoring the boreal forests that have been disturbed by mining activities. As a research scientist who studies remediation and biotechnology, I work with industry and collaborators to develop solutions that will help cleanup the vast quantity of tailings currently stored in the oilsands region, including nature-based approaches to reclamation.</p>
<h2>Why is reclamation so challenging?</h2>
<p>Oilsands tailings are a mixture of water, suspended sand, clay and residual bitumen. They are the byproduct of treating crushed ore with hot water to release the trapped bitumen.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="alttext" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373132/original/file-20201204-23-1qm94mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373132/original/file-20201204-23-1qm94mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373132/original/file-20201204-23-1qm94mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373132/original/file-20201204-23-1qm94mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373132/original/file-20201204-23-1qm94mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373132/original/file-20201204-23-1qm94mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373132/original/file-20201204-23-1qm94mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Oilsands tailings being pumped into a tailings pond in Alberta.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Francis Black/Canva)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The tailings are stored in ponds, where the heavier material quickly settles to the bottom, freeing up water to be reused in the extraction process. The remaining fine solids, such as clay, continue to settle and increase in density until the material is dry enough to use in the reclaimed landscape — <a href="https://www.oilsandsmagazine.com/technical/mining/tailings-ponds">a process that can take up to 150 years if left untreated</a>.</p>
<p>A shell of water forms around the clay particles, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1081/LFT-120003695">preventing them from interacting and allowing them to remain suspended</a>, even as larger particles settle. This suspension can be thin, like chocolate milk, or thick, like pudding. The water must be removed so that the material can be used to fill empty mining pits and support the weight of the clean sand and topsoil needed to reclaim the landscape. You can’t plant a forest on a foundation of pudding.</p>
<p>If the buried tailings are too fluid, the ground will be unstable. Several technologies are currently used to remove water from tailings such as water-separating polymers and giant centrifuges, however, these are not cost effective given the immense volume of stored tailings and still may not remove enough water for reclamation. </p>
<h2>Nature-based solutions</h2>
<p>Over the past 20 years, scientists have made considerable progress researching how nature can help solve human-caused problems such as land disturbances. This includes several studies evaluating <a href="https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR98010104">plant growth on oilsands tailings</a> and the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267248898_Evapotranspiration_dewatering_effect_on_CT_deposits_by_grasses">potential to use plants</a> to address the <a href="https://alfalfagreen.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Done-Suncor-Paper-2011.pdf">tailings volume problem</a>. </p>
<p>Plants are highly effective at pulling trapped water from the subsurface and releasing it to the environment in a process called evapotranspiration. For example, <a href="https://clu-in.org/download/techdrct/td_hoffnagle-phytoremediation.pdf">poplars growing in soil have been reported to transpire between six litres and 757 litres of water per day</a>, depending on the size and condition of the tree. However, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27177137/">tailings are not particularly hospitable to plant growth as they can lack nutrients such as nitrogen</a> and often <a href="https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/5676110f-0176-4e24-934f-bac38d9123b7">contain hydrocarbons, naphthenic acids, salts and heavy metals</a>. </p>
<p>Oilsands operators strive to avoid introducing non-native plant species to northern Alberta to avoid further disruption to the ecosystem. This limits the selection of plants to hardy boreal species, which often don’t share the same vigour as the fast-growing, invasive species. Research suggests, however, that the addition of plant growth-promoting supplements may help overcome some of the challenges faced by native species. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="aerial view of bog and boreal forest, with a twisting creek running through it" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373133/original/file-20201204-13-i836s9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373133/original/file-20201204-13-i836s9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373133/original/file-20201204-13-i836s9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373133/original/file-20201204-13-i836s9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373133/original/file-20201204-13-i836s9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373133/original/file-20201204-13-i836s9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373133/original/file-20201204-13-i836s9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Scientists are evaluating new plant-based technologies that could help remove water from tailings to make them suitable to help rebuild the boreal forest in northern Alberta.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Jason V/Canva)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://cosia.ca/sites/default/files/attachments/2019%20Tailings%20Research%20Report_FINAL.pdf">In a recent industry-funded study</a>, which is pending publication in a peer-reviewed journal, we found that combining a protein-rich compound called hydrochar with a collection of different types of bacteria increased the nutrients available to the plants, including nitrogen, and promoted their growth on tailings. </p>
<p>The more the plants grew, the drier — and more solid — the tailings became. After 3.5 months, the plants had not only dried out the tailings, they had enriched them with organic material such as root fibres, and improved the structure of the tailings solids by secreting organic molecules. The end result were <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/iostc2018/home/Collins%20et%20al%20-%20DEVELOPMENT%20OF%20BACTERIAL%20INOCULUM%20FOR%20THE%20PROMOTION%20OF%20PLANT%20GROWTH%20ON%20TAILINGS%20MATERIAL.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1">tailings that looked more like soil than dried clay</a>. </p>
<p>This proof-of-concept study was limited to a large, outdoor greenhouse experiment, but the concept has gained momentum within the wider industry. Field trials are targeted for 2023 where native boreal plant species would be used to dry tailings in a small, experimental tailings pit prior to reclamation. Operators are also funding research that uses drones and floating islands to look at how to deploy seedlings on tailings pits being prepared for closure. </p>
<p>While there is still work to be done before the oilsands industry can use plants to remove the water from tailings, there’s still a lot of potential. A plant-based remediation strategy is a passive technology, making it a potentially cost-effective tool that could ease the liability risk faced by oilsands operators and Canadians by increasing the speed of reclamation in the oilsands region.</p>
<p><em>This is a corrected version of a story originally published on Dec. 9. The earlier story said the volume of fluid tailings could bury Alberta, instead of the city of Edmonton.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/148158/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Victoria Collins receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and oilsands operators. She conducts research in collaboration with oilsands operators. </span></em></p>A new nature-based approach to managing oilsands tailings shows promise in the lab and may soon be tested in the field.Victoria Collins, Research associate, Applied BioNanotechnoloy Industrial Research group, Northern Alberta Institute of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1442852020-08-17T20:12:43Z2020-08-17T20:12:43ZWorld-first mining standard must protect people and hold powerful companies to account<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353093/original/file-20200817-24-ahc6w3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C0%2C3952%2C2666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Brazilians mourning after a mine disaster.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lucas Landau/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This month, the first <a href="https://globaltailingsreview.org/global-industry-standard/">global standard</a> to prevent mining catastrophes was released, following the tragic collapse of a tailings dam in Brazil last year which killed 270 people.</p>
<p>People living near or downstream from a mine deserve to know they’ll be safe. While the standard requires mining operators to act transparently, it’s being rolled out without independent oversight. And it’s not clear how communities – many of them vulnerable – will be supported to understand mining projects and their implications.</p>
<p>The standard comes at a time when <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214790X20301490">public visibility</a> of the mining industry is at a low. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/covid-19-pandemic-84189">COVID-19 pandemic</a> has restricted movement globally, making it harder for outside experts, journalists, investors and regulators to monitor what’s happening on the ground.</p>
<p>Tailings dams are among the largest human-made structures on the planet. Their collapse has become <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vale-sa-disaster-ahome/brazilian-mine-tragedy-will-not-be-the-last-tailings-dam-disaster-andy-home-idUSKCN1Q405J">more frequent</a> in recent years, and Australia is not immune. Independent oversight is necessary to hold mining companies to account.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Mud flows over a road in Brazil after a mine accident" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353094/original/file-20200817-22-1p602ec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353094/original/file-20200817-22-1p602ec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353094/original/file-20200817-22-1p602ec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353094/original/file-20200817-22-1p602ec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353094/original/file-20200817-22-1p602ec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353094/original/file-20200817-22-1p602ec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353094/original/file-20200817-22-1p602ec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tailings dam failures, such as this in Brazil last year, are becoming more common.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Antonio Lacurda/EPA</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Towards safer tailings</h2>
<p><a href="https://globaltailingsreview.org/about-tailings/">Tailings</a> are the residues left over from mining and minerals processing – a combination of finely ground rock, chemicals and water. They are commonly stored in the mining lease area, in huge engineered structures. </p>
<p>Tailings often contain tiny particles that can damage the environment by releasing <a href="https://theconversation.com/mine-waste-dams-threaten-the-environment-even-when-they-dont-fail-130770">toxic substances</a> such as arsenic and mercury, contaminating soil and water.</p>
<p>The new global standard aims to guide the safe management of tailings facilities, with a goal of “zero harm” to people and the environment. It spans the earliest conception stages to planning, construction, operation, closure and post-closure activities such as rehabilitation.</p>
<p>The standard was developed through an independent process triggered by a devastating tailings dam collapse in Brazil in January 2019. Mud and mining waste from the Córrego do Feijão mine washed across the town of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/21/brazil-dam-collapse-mining-disaster-charges">Brumadinho</a>, killing 270 people.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dam-collapse-at-brazilian-mine-exposes-grave-safety-problems-110666">Dam collapse at Brazilian mine exposes grave safety problems</a>
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<p>That tragedy followed another tailings dam collapse in Brazil in 2015. The dam, part owned by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/oct/15/samarco-dam-collapse-brazil-worst-environmental-disaster-bhp-billiton-vale-mining">Australia’s BHP</a>, triggered a mud flow that killed 19 people and devastated the river system. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-06-20/tailings-dam-audit-finds-high-failure-risks-across-australia/11223510">Tailings dam failures</a> have also occurred in Australia. In 2018, a dam <a href="https://www.newcrest.com/sites/default/files/2019-10/180312_Cadia%20%E2%80%93%20Northern%20Tailings%20Dam%20-%20Market%20Release.pdf">slumped</a> at the <a href="https://www.newcrest.com/our-assets/cadia">Cadia</a> gold mine in New South Wales, releasing more than a million tonnes of slurry elsewhere on the site. </p>
<p>This month, a <a href="https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/report/rehabilitating-mines">report</a> by Victoria’s Auditor-General revealed systemic regulatory failures in the management of former mines. It cited the Benambra copper and zinc mine, which ceased operations in 1996. A tailings dam containing 700,000 tonnes of sulphuric material was later found to be at risk of release due to erosion or embankment failure. </p>
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<img alt="The Cadia gold mine in western NSW" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353095/original/file-20200817-14-1xuseoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353095/original/file-20200817-14-1xuseoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353095/original/file-20200817-14-1xuseoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353095/original/file-20200817-14-1xuseoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353095/original/file-20200817-14-1xuseoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353095/original/file-20200817-14-1xuseoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353095/original/file-20200817-14-1xuseoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Cadia gold mine suffered a partial tailings dam collapse in 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Newcrest</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>The right to know</h2>
<p>The exact number of active tailings facilities globally is not known, but it’s thought to be in the <a href="https://graphics.reuters.com/MINING-TAILINGS1/0100B4S72K1/index.html">tens of thousands</a>. Thousands more are inactive or abandoned. </p>
<p>Local communities have a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214790X19300413?via%3Dihub">right to know</a> about these structures and their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420919306648">risks</a>, but sometimes struggle to access information. </p>
<p>The new standard includes unprecedented requirements for operators to publicly disclose information including:</p>
<ul>
<li>the rationale for site selection and facility design</li>
<li>consequence classification (ranking the severity of a potential failure)</li>
<li>risk management and emergency preparedness plans</li>
<li>the outcomes of independent reviews</li>
<li>operator capacity to cover the costs of reclamation for closure. </li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bse.2613">Our research</a> shows a high number of tailings facilities around the world are in areas with low levels of literacy and governance, and correspondingly high levels of inequality and corruption. </p>
<p>This means local communities should be given strong support to access and understand tailings information. <a href="https://www.csrm.uq.edu.au/publications/establishing-an-independent-entity">An independent entity</a> is also needed to oversee implementation of the standard, and help make mines publicly accountable. </p>
<p>Mining <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/investor-mining-tailings-safety-initiative">investor groups</a>, with trillions of dollars under management, are also seeking this information to safeguard their investments. </p>
<h2>Public accountability</h2>
<p>Civil society groups have argued the standard <a href="https://miningwatch.ca/news/2020/8/5/new-global-industry-standard-will-not-end-mine-waste-disasters">does not go far enough</a> to protect workers, communities and ecosystems. </p>
<p>Critics also highlight that, as yet, there is no independent mechanism for implementation or enforcement. On this, we agree. To date, an oversight body for the standard has not been established, and the standard has not been incorporated into national laws. That means the role of investors, shareholders and the general public is critical to holding companies to account.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/investors-push-for-positive-global-change-in-tailings-management-120904">Investors push for positive global change in tailings management</a>
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<p>A recent Australian example shows the pressure the public can bring to bear on mining companies. In May, it emerged <a href="https://www.riotinto.com/en">Rio Tinto</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/rio-tinto-just-blasted-away-an-ancient-aboriginal-site-heres-why-that-was-allowed-139466">destroyed</a> a 46,000-year heritage site on traditional lands in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. As information about the incident came to light, an outraged public demanded a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Northern_Australia/CavesatJuukanGorge">federal inquiry</a>, now underway.</p>
<p>Rio Tinto is also conducting a <a href="https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20200619/pdf/44js36103sntzy.pdf">board-led review</a> and, after <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-rio-tinto-can-ensure-its-aboriginal-heritage-review-is-transparent-and-independent-141192">public pressure</a>, has promised to make it public.</p>
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<img alt="Protest over Rio Tinto caves destruction" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353107/original/file-20200817-16-wqrwls.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353107/original/file-20200817-16-wqrwls.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353107/original/file-20200817-16-wqrwls.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353107/original/file-20200817-16-wqrwls.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353107/original/file-20200817-16-wqrwls.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353107/original/file-20200817-16-wqrwls.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353107/original/file-20200817-16-wqrwls.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A public outcry followed news Rio Tinto had destroyed a 46,000-year-old site on traditional Indigenous land.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Richard Wainwright/AAP</span></span>
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<h2>Next steps</h2>
<p>The architects of the standard – the <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/">United Nations Environment Programme</a>, the <a href="https://www.unpri.org/">Principles for Responsible Investment</a>, and the <a href="https://www.icmm.com/">International Council on Mining and Metals</a> – are now discussing how to implement it to achieve industry change.</p>
<p>The global transition towards low-emissions technology brings even sharper focus to this issue. Increased <a href="http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/207371500386458722/pdf/117581-WP-P159838-PUBLIC-ClimateSmartMiningJuly.pdf">global demand</a> is expected for metals including copper and gold, iron ore, lead, zinc, cobalt and lithium. Such mines tend to produce larger quantities of tailings than, say, coal mines.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-aboriginal-people-have-little-say-over-energy-projects-on-their-land-139119">Why Aboriginal people have little say over energy projects on their land</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652619305359">Our research</a> suggests this will lead to more mines – and more tailings facilities – in remote and fragile environments, and on the traditional lands of <a href="https://oxfordre.com/anthropology/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190854584.001.0001/acrefore-9780190854584-e-121">Indigenous peoples</a> in Australia and elsewhere. </p>
<p>This means making mining companies accountable will become even more important in future, to keep people and the environment safe.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144285/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deanna Kemp is a former member of the Global Tailings Review expert panel that supported the independent chair; a trustee and member of the advisory council for the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB); and a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals' (ICMM) independent expert review panel. She is chief investigator of an ARC Linkage grant on public-private inquiries in mining. The Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) at UQ conducts applied research with mining companies, governments and mine-affected communities globally.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Owen is Chief Investigator of an ARC Linkage grant on public-private inquiries in mining.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nick Bainton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A new global standard on tailings dams aim to prevent mining disasters like the Brazil dam collapse in 2019 – but there’s more to do.Deanna Kemp, Professor and Director, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, The University of QueenslandJohn Owen, Professorial Research Fellow, The University of QueenslandNick Bainton, Associate Professor, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1097792019-01-31T23:01:08Z2019-01-31T23:01:08ZCleaning up abandoned mines means we all pay the price<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256708/original/file-20190131-112314-hf0mih.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Researchers collect samples from the abandoned tailings that flow into Long Lake, near Sudbury, Ont.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">John Gunn</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The fate of abandoned mines are a familiar problem for those living in communal spaces, with common rooms and shared kitchens: “Who is going to clean up this mess?” and “Who is going to pay for the damages?” </p>
<p>Public lands have the same problem when people dump trash in the bush to avoid paying landfill fees. But cleaning up industrial brownfields, like <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/children-of-the-poisoned-river-mercury-poisoning-grassy-narrows-first-nation/">the mercury-laden sediments in the English-Wabigoon River near Grassy Narrows First Nation</a> in northwestern Ontario, is a far bigger problem than collecting litter.</p>
<p>We are beginning to see some changes. <a href="https://www.thestar.com/calgary/2019/01/31/supreme-court-of-canada-says-bankrupt-energy-companies-must-clean-up-old-oil-and-gas-wells-before-paying-off-creditors.html">The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that bankrupt oil and gas companies must meet their environmental commitments</a> before they pay off their creditors. </p>
<p>In the mining sector, there are more than 5,000 abandoned sites in Ontario where the taxpayer is on the hook for the cleanup, ecosystem repairs and dealing with the downstream miseries faced by communities. Ontario has spent about <a href="https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/environmental-cleanup-continues-at-canada-s-worst-mining-disaster-in-timmins-1.3449983">$75 million to date to clean up the former Kam Kotia Mine</a> near Timmins, Ont. It may be the largest ecological rehabilitation effort in the province. </p>
<p>But the vast majority of abandoned mines have not been dealt with, including a former gold mine south of Sudbury, Ont. where <a href="https://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/06/23/drinking-water-advisory-issued-for-long-lake-residents-3/wcm/1de0ce83-b96c-1b7c-7002-b41327a2c5ea">arsenic is steadily seeping into Long Lake and forcing nearby residents to use bottled water</a>. The mine was closed in 1939 after extracting the equivalent of $63 million worth of gold. One hundred years later, taxpayers are stuck with the costs of a cleanup that has still not started. </p>
<p>Abandoned mine sites represent a dark example of a legacy problem. However, there is increasing evidence that future generations will not be left stuck with the job of solving past problems. Modern mining companies are, for example, now under more stringent regulations. </p>
<h2>Polluters pay</h2>
<p>We’ve used the atmosphere as a dumping ground for carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases for the past 200 years. Finding a way to clean up the atmosphere dwarfs the challenges presented by abandoned mine sites. But it is the same issue — the tragedy of the commons. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/toxic-leftovers-from-giant-mine-found-in-snowshoe-hares-95849">Toxic leftovers from Giant Mine found in snowshoe hares</a>
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<p>It’s hard to know who the culprits are: Who trashed the air we breathe, or triggered the extreme climate events we suffer? Asthma, bronchitis, heat stress, slip-and-fall accidents, flood damage and growing insurance costs are all linked to rising greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. </p>
<p>It is even harder to assign blame when the smog and atmospheric damage are <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/01/28/california-wildfires-insurance-claims-top-11-4-b-2018/2707446002/">caused by wildfires</a>, or other so-called natural processes such as <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16012019/permafrost-thaw-climate-change-temperature-data-arctic-antarctica-mountains-study">thawing permafrost</a>. However, lately it seems that we are finally starting to connect the dots, and beginning to accept that humans caused these problems. Now we need to pay the bill. </p>
<p>Well, who should pay? Clearly, if we can identify the culprits — illegal dumpers, polluting companies, inefficient users of fossil fuels — <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/faqs/what-is-the-polluter-pays-principle/">they should be the first to pay</a>. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-wealth-tax-forces-those-responsible-for-climate-change-to-pay-for-it-105547">A wealth tax forces those responsible for climate change to pay for it</a>
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<p>Citizens already are familiar with covering the costs of shared services, including hospitals, highways and schools, and know the wisdom of investing in the future. We all have to shoulder the responsibility for managing the atmosphere we share by reducing fossil fuel use, supporting and encouraging innovation or simply voting for good government that cares about the future.</p>
<h2>Hidden wealth</h2>
<p>Maybe there’s a silver lining. When you clean up a common room after a party, you might actually find change beneath the cushions or be able to cash in the leftover beer bottles. </p>
<p>Sometimes there is actually lots of value in waste if you are smart enough to harvest it. For example, the <a href="http://gsuinc.ca/">Greater Sudbury Utilities Innovation group</a> is harvesting enough natural gas from the landfill site to heat 14,000 homes, and there are <a href="https://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/07/31/sudburys-mine-tailings-worth-billions/wcm/4525f977-934d-5df3-96bc-5155a6fd230e">millions if not billions of dollars of leftover valuable metals in tailing piles</a> around Sudbury. </p>
<p>The economic benefits and avoided health-care costs from <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/new-york-cuomo-green-new-deal-clean-energy#gs.y0XpsUqq">investments in the clean-tech industry</a> can also be enormous as we move into the post-fossil fuel world. The alternatives are not pleasant.</p>
<p>Lately report after report has delivered the same message: Time is short. We cannot leave the common room in a mess much longer.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/109779/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Gunn is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Stressed Aquatic Systems who receives funding from NSERC Discovery grants, Canada Research Chair, Mitacs, OCE and Laurentian University and two NSERC CREATE program ( Mine of Knowledge, EcoLac). I am also a principal investigator for an NSERC CRD on carbon sequestration in industrial barrens that has both Glencore and Vale Ltd as funding partners.</span></em></p>Bankrupt oil and gas companies must clean up old wells, yet taxpayers are still stuck with the bill for abandoned mines.John Gunn, Canada Research Chair in Stressed Aquatic Systems, Laurentian UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.