Health and Tailings Ponds

This fact sheet by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment describes the health and environmental risks associated with tailings ponds in the Canadian oilsands (tarsands) industry in northern Alberta, highlighting unusually high cancer rates in local Indigenous communities and the failure of industry and government to report toxic spills.

• The Canadian oilsands industry in northern Alberta has created tailings ponds covering an estimated 300 square kilometers as of 2020, containing 1.4 trillion litres of toxic wastewater. This area is approximately 2.6 times the size of the city of Vancouver.
• Tailings ponds contain toxic chemicals at rates exceeding federal and provincial guidelines, including lead, mercury, benzene, and arsenic. Other substances present include Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, which are known to cause developmental impacts, damage DNA, and are highly carcinogenic, as well as Naphthenic Acids, which are currently under study by Canada for toxicity.
• There are reports of unusually high cancer rates in the Athabasca region. Dr. John O’Connor noted three cases of a rare cancer in Fort Chipewyan's population of 1,200, a condition that typically affects only 1 in 1-200,000 people. Additionally, government studies from 1995-2006 found cancer rates in the community were 30% higher than expected.
• A 2014 study indicated that residents of Fort Chipewyan who consumed traditionally caught meats and fish—such as pickerel, moose, muskrat, and duck—as well as Labrador tea, experienced higher than expected cancer rates.
• In February 2023, Imperial Oil’s Kearl Mine spilled 5.3 million litres of tailings. The Alberta government, the Alberta Energy Regulator, and the company failed to notify impacted Indigenous communities about the spill for at least 9 months.
• The estimated cost to clean up tarsands tailings ponds is $260 billion, but companies have set aside less than 3% of the necessary funds. Furthermore, recent research suggests the industry underestimates its air pollution by 64 times the actual amount.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). Health and Tailings Ponds. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HAY-Poster-Toxic-Tarsands-Tailings.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Health and Tailings Ponds. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HAY-Poster-Toxic-Tarsands-Tailings.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Health and Tailings Ponds |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HAY-Poster-Toxic-Tarsands-Tailings.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentndhealth, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Health and Tailings Ponds}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HAY-Poster-Toxic-Tarsands-Tailings.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }