Alberta to create standards for releasing oilsands tailings into environment

EDMONTON — The Alberta government is planning to create standards for releasing treated oilsands tailings into the environment.

Creating those standards is one of four new policy recommendations pitched by a government-appointed committee tasked over a year ago with studying tailings management options.

Tailings are mixture of water, sand, bitumen residue and chemicals considered toxic to fish and other wildlife. As of 2023, nearly 1.4 trillion litres of the substance were stored in the province.

A report Friday from the committee says treating and releasing oilsands tailings into the environment is “essential” if Alberta wants to mitigate risks posed by the substance, as more and more of it pools around northern Alberta.

“The ongoing accumulation of (mine water) poses significant storage and environmental challenges,” the report reads.

“Establishing release standards for treated (tailings) will allow operators to manage increasing water volumes on site and achieve mine closure outcomes in accordance with their tailings management and reclamation plans.”

The report notes concerns about whether tailings can be treated well enough to protect the health of humans and wildlife. It says many Indigenous communities have expressed opposition to the idea of releasing tailings into watersheds and the Athabasca River.

Committee chair Tany Yao, a United Conservative Party member of the legislature, said in a news release the committee is satisfied the right technology exists.

But the report recommends Alberta continue working with industry to create and test new treatment solutions as they develop.

It also says standards for release are needed first, so oil companies can determine what technology would be required.

Cassie Barker with the advocacy group Environmental Defence said she’s worried the province will move forward with mandating a “bottom dollar treatment plan.”

“It seems like the committee is really trying to expedite the release of tailings before the actual treatment technology is proven or even feasible and in place,” Barker said.

“If they had a solution to fully treat water to a quality that would be good enough to put it back into the environment, then that water should be good enough to be put back into their own production process.”

Barker said the committee’s recommendations seem more concerned with not burdening the industry than protecting downstream communities.

“This report still feels like more of a wish and a dream than an actual plan for treating billions of litres of toxic tailings.”

The report says Alberta will need to work with Indigenous communities as well as the federal government to create the standards, as Ottawa holds jurisdiction when it comes to potential releases.

Pierre Gratton, president of the Mining Association of Canada, said in the news release that his organization welcomes the plan to create release standards.

“We are hopeful that this will accelerate the development of federal regulations – which we requested almost 15 years ago – to be similarly advanced to allow the oilsands mining sectors to proceed with significant investments in reclamation and water treatment.”

Federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin’s office did not immediately respond to questions.

Alberta Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said the government has accepted the recommendations and will be evaluating them as it develops a tailings management plan.

“These recommendations are a path forward to responsibly manage these waters and grow energy production while protecting the environment and communities downstream,” Schulz said in a statement.

“Doing nothing while mine water continues accumulating is not a sustainable long-term approach.”

The committee previously released five other recommendations, including injecting tailings deep underground.

“This approach helps to mitigate the continued accumulation of (tailings) and provides a buffer while longer-term water management strategies are being developed and implemented,” the committee wrote in June about underground disposal.

The government said Friday all nine of recommendations will be evaluated over the coming months.

“Once the evaluation is complete, government will implement a safe and reasonable plan that is supported by science and protects communities in the region and downstream,” said the news release.

Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said he hadn’t reviewed the recommendations but the government’s record on enforcing environmental standards on the oil industry didn’t inspire much confidence.

“We need to move from the UCP’s ideologically driven decision-making to evidence-based, science-based decision-making,” he said.

“Let’s ensure that we’re being looking at the best science, and let’s ensure that we’re protecting the watersheds as best as we can.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2025.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press