Blue herons found dead on Syncrude site

Approximately 30 great blue herons were found dead near a run-off pond at the Mildred Lake mine site, operated by Syncrude. The Alberta Energy Regulator is investigating the deaths to see what caused them and whether charges will be laid against Syncrude.

“While the birds may not have been found in a tailing pond it’s clear the birds succumbed after exposure to something in the region. This draws out some serious concerns about how monitoring during the various stages of operations is being done. Something is failing and there is a real need to review regulatory management and monitoring parameters,” said Eriel Deranger, communications coordinator of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. The province’s

Alberta Wild Species General Status Listing – 2010, classifies blue herons as “sensitive,” which means the “overall trend for this species may be decreasing.” No timeline has been set by AER as to when the investigation will be completed.