The extraction of petroleum from the “oil sands” of western
Canada has long been a concern to environmentalists. These
deposits are the second largest oil reserve in the world, and
the minable area covers 1,350 square miles of boreal forest and
wetlands. But oil sands give up their treasure grudgingly. In
the largest oil sands reserve, the Athabasca deposit, the
overlying soil must be removed, the ore crushed, and hot water
added in the extraction process. This requires large amounts of
natural gas and fresh water diverted from major river systems.
After processing, “tailings” containing clay, sand, and
water—along with residual oil—are held in vast networks of
settling ponds. Migrating waterfowl that stop to rest on these
ponds become coated in oil and other toxins and die. In a much
publicized incident that occurred last April, 1,600 ducks died
in settling ponds in northern Alberta. An even greater concern
is that settling ponds will fail, releasing tailings into the
Athabasca River system. The Athabasca fl