Treated oilsands tailings ‘threaten the health’ of NWT waters, says Dene Nation

“The Dene Nation stands firm in its commitment to safeguarding the health and wellness of our people, waters, lands, and animals.”
– Dene National Chief George Mackenzie

The Dene Nation is fuming over the potential impact of treated Albert oil sands tailings on the NWT’s ecosystem — especially as it was excluded from environmental assessments affecting its traditional lands.

The Alberta government’s Oil Sands Mine Water Steering Committee recently released a report that included recommendations for the “treatment and release” of treated oil sands mine water into the environment.

The oilseeds operators have recycled oil sands mine water so much, it’s full of salts, metals, hydrocarbons and other contaminants and the storage facilities are full to the brim.

The Alberta committee recommended the government expedite the establishment of release standards for this water.

“The Dene Chiefs express grave concerns over the impact of the release of treated oil sands tailings on our ecosystem, which threatens the health of our communities and the environment downstream from Alberta’s oil sands,” stated Dene National Chief George Mackenzie, noting the Dene Nation was not invited to offer input.

“This exclusion limits our participation in crucial decision-making processes, as recognized by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), which calls for our inclusion in reviews of Alberta projects with potential downstream impacts.

“The cumulative effects of oil sands operations endanger the ecological health and cultural heritage of the Dene. Protecting our traditional lands from these impacts is essential for preserving our way of life.”

Alberta’s oil sands tailings ponds now contain over 1.4 billion cubic metres of liquid that is a mixture of water, sand, clay and residual bitumen and are a by-product of the extraction process.

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Oil sands operators are responsible for site management and reclamation.

The Alberta report stated, in part:

Furthermore, it is crucial for the Government of Alberta to work with the federal government, Indigenous and local communities, and industry stakeholders in establishing appropriate standards for water release back into the watershed.

Many Indigenous communities oppose treated oil sands mine water release. Indigenous communities are concerned about cumulative effects, impacts on aquatic habitat, human health, and Indigenous rights.

Addressing historical and ongoing effects of oil sands development on Indigenous communities is crucial, as many have reported ecological degradation, loss of traditional land use areas, and social and health challenges.

The six-person Alberta committee featured one prominent Indigenous member, Jim Boucher, a Cree and Dene businessman and political leader.

Boucher is a two-time Chief of Fort McKay First Nation, situated in the heart of the Athabasca oil sands and is surrounded by industrial development.

Boucher and the Fort McKay FN — a member nation of Treaty 8 — have a long-standing partnership with Suncor, one of the largest energy companies in Canada. But it is also concerned over potential damage of the Athabasca River.

The First Nation’s written submission to the Alberta committee stated, in part:

Massive and growing tailings ponds present an existential crisis not only to Fort McKay First Nation, but to the oil sands industry itself. Without a feasible solution, the pride of the oil sands industry and the economic benefits afforded to the province will be lost. We must learn from the failures of fluid fine tailings management in Alberta to avoid contaminating the Athabasca River — the backbone of Fort McKay First Nation’s Traditional Territory and culture — with oil sands mine water release.

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Dene Nation Chief Mackenzie stated that the Dene Nation — nor are any other NWT Indigenous peoples — are signatories to the transboundary agreement between Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and NWT.

These agreements, “negotiated without our input, fail to protect our interests under Treaties 8 and 11,” he stated.

A major concern for the Dene Nation is the release of polluted water into the Athabasca River, which flows north into the Slave River, then Great Slave Lake, into the Mackenzie River, eventually reaching the Arctic Ocean.

Chief Mackenzie stated that the report’s recommendations on the treatment and release of oil sands tailings into the river system inadequate and potentially harmful.

The Dene Nation fears the proposed methods may not sufficiently mitigate the toxic effects of the tailings, posing a significant risk to aquatic life and the broader ecosystem.

The Dene Nation is seeking funds to provide “a thorough review and discussion of any regulations.”

Concluded Chief Mackenzie: “Meaningful participation from Indigenous communities in decision-making processes is crucial. Our commitment is unwavering: the health and wellness of our people and environment are not negotiable.”

Treatment and release of oilsands mine water

• Treatment and release involves treating oil sands mine water to a quality that meets or exceeds yet to be developed regulatory standards before discharging it as treated effluent into natural water bodies, such as the Athabasca River.
• Currently, operators store process-affected water primarily in tailings ponds, as releases of treated process affected water have historically been prohibited.
• These large, engineered structures, typically a series of dykes and dams, contain water used in the bitumen extraction process.
• The ongoing accumulation of oil sands mine water poses significant storage and environmental challenges.
• Long-term maintenance of large volumes of process-affected water in tailings ponds creates a risk of engineered structure failures and accidental releases of untreated oil sands mine water, threatening wildlife, aquatic ecosystems and downstream users.
• Treatment and release to the environment is essential to mitigate the risks associated with the accumulating oil sands mine water on site.
• All discharges from industrial sites must prioritize safeguarding the environment and human health, and this includes the release of water from oil sands.
• The primary concern should be whether the treated mine water is safe for fish, their habitats, human health, and traditional land uses.