According to the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), on Wednesday, Canadian-based Imperial Oil experienced yet another environmental problem when crude oil leaked into a process-water lagoon at its Mahihkan plant in northern Alberta, infecting a flock of geese.
A total of six barrels of oil were spilled on Monday, adding to the oil sands company’s history of environmental transgressions.
Containment Measures for Imperial Oil Toxic Tailings Leak
The public first learned of toxic tailings water seeping for several months from Imperial’s Kearl mine earlier this year. This was followed by another leak in February.
Twelve Canada geese that had landed on the contaminated lagoon were impacted by the leak, according to the AER’s incident report posted on their website.
All of the oil-covered birds have been carefully evacuated from the lagoon to a specialist location for cleaning and rehabilitation in order to handle this situation.
The process of recovering the oil from the lagoon is still ongoing, though. Imperial has set up containment booms in the water to stop the spread of oil, as well as wildlife cannons, flags, and wildlife cannons around the lagoon to lessen further damage.
As of right now, Imperial has not answered inquiries about the poisoned geese. However, they have updated their website, noting that they are still keeping an eye on the Kearl site to determine if any extra actions are needed to stop the months-long tailings seepage that was first noticed in May 2022.
Read more: Max Social Security Benefits: Reaching The Income Threshold
Environmental Issues Under Increased Scrutiny
According to Imperial’s report, recent examinations close to the seepage site turned up a dead frog and two dead minnows, which were taken for additional testing.
By late June, the business had finished enlarging its seepage interception system to include additional drainage, pumping wells, and vacuum systems.
Concerns about Imperial Oil’s operations and their effects on regional ecosystems have been raised in light of these environmental issues.
Read more: Michigan’s Wild Weather: Expect Tornadoes, Hail, And Flooding