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Muskeg River oilsands mine misses tailings pond board requirements
News Articles | | September 20, 2010
Shell Canada’s Muskeg River oilsands mine will miss near-term deadlines on fine particles entering its tailings ponds but will catch up by 2017 and eventually exceed cleanup goals, the Alberta regulator announced Monday.
The mine is the seventh to have its tailings pond management plan approved — and the fifth to miss Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board requirements under Directive 74, approved in 2009.
Only Suncor Canada’s two oilsands mines have met all of the requirements.
“In the early stages, it’s not going to be in compliance but very quickly it will come into compliance and will then do better than what is required before the time period is up,” said ERCB spokesman Bob Curran.
“Ultimately, the objective of this directive is to eliminate tailings ponds once companies have ceased operations so it certainly meets that objective.”
Shell’s Jackpine mine and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.’s Horizon project have not had tailings plans approved.
Tagged with: tailings ponds, oilsands, energy resources conservation board, cleanup, muskeg river
