Public probe of oilsands bird deaths demanded; Scrutinize government's role, says Greenpeace

Jeremy Loome, May 6, 2008, Edmonton Sun -- The environmental group Greenpeace is calling for an independent public inquiry into the deaths of 500 birds on a Syncrude oilsands tailings pond, as rescue efforts continue to save a handful of surviving fowl.

The group said at the legislature that there is a long history of anonymous whistleblowers attempting to get the impact of the tailing ponds - toxic soups of production runoff that cover some 50 square kilometres - properly assessed.

Spokesman Mike Hudema said the government's long relationship with the oil industry means it cannot be trusted to investigate and prosecute the incident.

He said reports of a small number of birds on a tailings pond operated by Conoco-Phillips, with one being rescued and sent to Edmonton to be cleaned, proves there are more cases out there.

He also pointed to research suggesting the ponds have killed hundreds of birds annually for years.

"We know that it's likely and we know that this government has a long history of being in denial about environmental concerns," Hudema said.

He also said any public inquiry should "also be to look at the government's role in this. The premier trying to hold Syncrude to account without holding his own government to account is definitely a big flaw in the process."

But Premier Ed Stelmach said the government is willing to take its lumps if the current system of policing the tailings ponds is inadequate.

"We're going through the investigation very carefully, we're going to learn from it, I'm sure Syncrude will learn from it, and so will the government.

"We're going to learn how to change things to ensure that this doesn't happen again," said the premier.

An investigation is unlikely to lead to a greener perspective from the province, said Hudema, adding that the maximum penalty for a conviction under Alberta regulations is a $1 million fine.

"A maximum fine of $1 million is too small to adequately impact an oil giant such as Syncrude," said Hudema, adding Greenpeace intends to start recruiting whistleblowers living in the oilsands development area.

"Syncrude made its first million of 2008 by 7:30 a.m. on New Year's Day."

Yesterday, Focus Wildlife Canada volunteers in Edmonton introduced three of the rescued ducks to conditioning ponds that will eventually help them be released back into the wild.

A fourth duck from the Syncrude incident was expected to be cleaned by the afternoon, while a loon from the ConocoPhillips tailings pond recovered over the weekend was on its way to the centre.