Petition for certification of Canada pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 for failing to prevent or mitigate the impacts of tar sands extraction on 130 migratory bird species, including whooping cranes, as well as on woodland caribou

The petition argues that large-scale tar sands development in Alberta, Canada, causes direct and indirect 'takings' of protected species, specifically 130 migratory bird species (including the endangered whooping crane) and threatened woodland caribou. It details how tailings ponds, habitat fragmentation, and pollution lead to mass mortality and population decline. The document further asserts that Canada's regulatory failures and the industry's contribution to global warming exacerbate these threats, violating the spirit of international conservation agreements. Consequently, the petitioners call for a formal investigation and certification by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior under the Pelly Amendment.

• Tar sands extraction in Alberta directly kills migratory birds when they mistake toxic tailings ponds for natural water bodies, leading to drowning, hypothermia, or toxin ingestion.
• The endangered whooping crane is highly vulnerable because the entire global population of wild, migratory whooping cranes passes through the tar sands region twice annually.
• Woodland caribou populations in the tar sands region have declined by more than 50 percent over their last three generations due to anthropogenic habitat disruption and fragmentation.
• Tar sands operations contribute to global warming, which indirectly harms wildlife by increasing wildfires, causing droughts in wetlands, and shifting vegetation and predator patterns.
• Tailings ponds, which covered over 65 square miles as of 2010, contain a toxic mixture of bitumen salts, naphthenic acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc.
• Strip mining has destroyed 256 square miles of natural landscape, with another 586 square miles under active development, and there is no evidence that these areas can be restored to prior habitat conditions.
• The petition identifies 130 bird species protected by the Migratory Bird Convention that breed in or migrate through the tar sands area, including waterbirds and insectivorous birds.
• Woodland caribou are facing a high probability of extinction within 40 years, with the Cold Lake herd expected to fall below 10 individuals in less than 20 years.
• Canada is accused of failing to effectively regulate the industry, specifically by not regulating naphthenic acids, failing to prosecute tailings pond leakages, and delaying the recovery strategy for woodland caribou by over four years.
• Tar sands oil production is noted to emit three times the global warming pollution per barrel compared to conventional oil.

APA

Earthjustice (2011). Petition for certification of Canada pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 for failing to prevent or mitigate the impacts of tar sands extraction on 130 migratory bird species, including whooping cranes, as well as on woodland caribou. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/tarsandspellypetitionsept222011corrected.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Petition for certification of Canada pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 for failing to prevent or mitigate the impacts of tar sands extraction on 130 migratory bird species, including whooping cranes, as well as on woodland caribou. 2011. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/tarsandspellypetitionsept222011corrected.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Petition for certification of Canada pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 for failing to prevent or mitigate the impacts of tar sands extraction on 130 migratory bird species, including whooping cranes, as well as on woodland caribou |date=22 September 2011 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/tarsandspellypetitionsept222011corrected.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2011petition, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Petition for certification of Canada pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 for failing to prevent or mitigate the impacts of tar sands extraction on 130 migratory bird species, including whooping cranes, as well as on woodland caribou}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2011}, month = sep, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/tarsandspellypetitionsept222011corrected.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }