Environmental protection order: Updates on Imperial’s actions

Enforcement actions on 2023 drainage pond overflow at Kearl

On January 16, Imperial received notification of the charges from the Alberta Energy Regulator related to the overflow of a drainage pond at the Kearl site in 2023. We will be reviewing the information to assess next steps.

A core principle of Imperial’s business is to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. We work tirelessly to do the right thing, and this situation is not reflective of how we operate and who we are as a company.

Following the event, an investigation team was assembled to identify root causes of the overflow, which was shared with communities and is posted on our website. The company has made changes to prevent an event like this from happening again. Mitigations have been put in place for this drainage pond and other ponds in the water collection system and we are confident the actions we have taken to address the issue are working.

Due to cold weather conditions at the time of the event, the water that overflowed quickly froze. All impacted snow and ice in the area was removed shortly after the overflow was identified. This pond collects water from surface water drainage systems and the seepage interception system, which is primarily natural groundwater and precipitation, with a small amount of industrial wastewater. It also receives water, silt and sediment from the surrounding area, which accumulates over time.

Water from the overflow did not enter any rivers, the closest being the Firebag River which is approximately 2.5 kilometres away. The AER assessment continues to confirm there has been no indication of adverse impacts to local wildlife or fish populations in nearby river systems, and no risks to drinking water for local communities.

We recognize this incident caused concern in the community and we deeply regret this happened. We appreciate the time local Indigenous communities have taken over the past two years to visit the site and analyze data related to the overflow. We look forward to continued collaboration with communities in an effort to rebuild trust, improve understanding and build confidence in our company and how it operates. 

January 2025 – Expanded seepage system continues to operate effectively at Kearl; ongoing monitoring

Education and research project work underway

Imperial continues extensive monitoring following the significant expansion of its groundwater monitoring network at Kearl. As we continue our work to manage seepage areas, we are sharing updates and data with local Indigenous communities.

Additional drilling work is planned this winter to follow up on monitoring results and further enhance our understanding of these areas. All monitoring data continues to demonstrate no indication of adverse impacts to local wildlife or fish populations in nearby river systems, and no risks to drinking water for local communities.

Imperial has activated its expanded seepage control system at its Kearl oil sands facility, which will help limit further migration of industrial wastewater off lease. Our focus remains on continuing to use the data gathered to enhance the seepage control system and groundwater monitoring network.

Since starting work in February 2023, the company has more than tripled the total number of pumping and monitoring wells to address seepage of industrial wastewater from its operating lease area. There are now more than 800 monitoring wells in the area, with 6,000 samples collected to date.

With help from third-party assessments, we have mapped locations of potential seepage north of the lease boundary using extensive groundwater and surface water quality monitoring. The furthest we have detected shallow groundwater above screening guidelines is up to 150 metres from the lease boundary, in one localized area. In the deeper groundwater (more than 12 metres below surface near the Kearl lease), groundwater above screening guidelines has been detected within approximately one kilometre of the site. That remains two kilometres away from the Firebag River. We have been sharing this information with communities and continue to monitor both groundwater and surface water quality in these areas.

Imperial continues to work on projects for educational and research purposes to further study and understand the impact of the existing release of industrial wastewater off the lease area of the Kearl facility This research, which was directed by the Alberta Energy Regulator, seeks to address scientific gaps and our goal is to work collaboratively with the Indigenous community and incorporate traditional knowledge. Our intent is also to share what is learned with our Indigenous neighbours and industry.

Imperial continues to engage and update community and regulators. We are committed to being open and transparent with our findings, fostering trust and collaboration with all parties involved. By sharing our progress and insights, we aim to address any concerns and demonstrate our dedication to responsible environmental stewardship. Imperial continues to provide support for independent testing and site tours.

We regret this incident occurred and would like to express our sincere gratitude and thanks to local indigenous communities who have dedicated countless number of hours to this issue over the last year – including dozens of meetings, analyzing and evaluating thousands of pages of data, and multiple visits to the Kearl site.

Background

Imperial was issued an Environmental Protection Order by the Alberta Energy Regulator in March 2023 in response to two industrial water incidents that occurred at our Kearl oil sands mine. Imperial has been taking actions to address these issues.

In May 2022, we discovered discoloured water near our lease boundary and notified both the Alberta Energy Regulator and local Indigenous communities. Our preliminary investigation involved months of technical studies and determined this discoloured surface water was made up of natural groundwater, precipitation and water from our operations.

The second event, which occurred in February 2023, was an overflow from a drainage pond at Kearl, resulting in the release of approximately 5,300 cubic meters of water. This pond collects water from surface water drainage systems and the seepage interception system. Local Indigenous communities and the Alberta Energy Regulator were informed of this release once it was detected. All impacted snow and ice in the area was removed and Imperial continues to work with the AER on cleanup certification. The company has made changes to help prevent an event like this from happening again.

See previous updates.