Environmental protection order: Updates on Imperial’s actions

Imperial progressed construction on drainage structures in the area and advanced work to complete monitoring and pumping wells related to the seep mitigation system. About 200 people continue to work on related activities at the site. 

Sampling has been conducted to confirm cleanup of impacted materials resulting from wastewater released from a drainage pond on January 31, 2023. Imperial continues to work with the Alberta Energy Regulator on cleanup certification.

Based on our monitoring, released fluids did not enter any waterways and our water sampling continues to show there has been no impacts to local drinking water sources. There is no indication of impact to wildlife. 

Imperial continues to engage directly with Indigenous community leaders and other community members to answer questions, provide information and begin to rebuild trust. We recognize that we still have work to do in this area and are committed to improving our communications in the future.

Over the past week we held in-community meetings, including in Fort Chipewyan, to share information directly with communities and hear their feedback. Our technical experts were available to meet with community members and answer questions. We also continued to host community representatives for tours and accommodated requests for independent water sampling at our site.

We have shared our mitigation and monitoring plans with communities and have offered for them to complete their own independent reviews of our technical work.

Imperial did notify communities at the time of both incidents in May 2022 and February 2023. We deeply regret that during our investigation into the May incident that updates were not regularly provided to communities following our initial notification as we did not meet their expectations.

Imperial’s current monitoring and water sampling data continues to show that there has been no impact to local waterways or drinking water. The company has maintained a robust water sampling program at Kearl since operations began a decade ago and contracts independent third-party organizations to provide water monitoring services.

We have created an informational video featuring Imperial’s water lead that provides information regarding our ongoing water sampling and monitoring program.

What happened?

• On January 31, 2023, Imperial experienced an overflow from a process water drainage pond resulting in the release of 5300m³. The Alberta Energy Regulator was notified immediately upon detection of the release on February 4, 2023. 
• The water drainage pond is separate from the facility’s main tailing storage area. This pond collects water from the seepage interception system and other surface water drainage systems. 

What is being done to mitigate the overflow?

• Imperial has been working around the clock to clean up the overflow that was released. 
• Based on our monitoring, released fluids have not entered any waterways and there is no indication of impact to wildlife. 

Who was informed of the release?

• Per company policy, the Alberta Energy Regulator and local Indigenous communities were informed. 

Why did the release occur?

• Imperial is still working with the Alberta Energy Regulator to determine the cause of the overflow. 

Does the release pose any danger to humans or wildlife in the area?

• There is no indication of any impact to wildlife. All released fluids have frozen and therefore do not pose any risk to humans or wildlife in the area. All impacted surface ice and snow in the area has now been removed and safely disposed.  

How will Imperial prevent a similar issue in the future?

• Imperial’s top priority is to ensure the appropriate completion of our cleanup efforts in line with the requirements outlined in the environmental protection order. We will make every effort to learn from this incident and apply preventative steps that are identified.
• Since Kearl was first being developed 15 years ago, this is the first time the facility has been issued an environmental protection order. We regret that this incident occurred and are taking steps to prevent it from happening again.

Seepage Interception System

What happened?

• During routine water sampling in May 2022, an orange discolouration was observed in pooled surface water in four areas in close proximity to the Kearl lease boundary. The Alberta Energy Regulator was notified immediately, and Imperial has been working collaboratively with the regulator to determine the cause of the seepage and implement a solution.
• Upon inspection, the seepage is primarily natural groundwater and precipitation, with a small amount of industrial wastewater.

Who was informed of the situation?

• Per company policy, the Alberta Energy Regulator and local Indigenous communities were notified of the situation.
• We have remained in contact with communities and shared our plans for mitigation. We will continue to provide updated and information as it becomes available.

What is the source of the seepage?

• Based on the ongoing investigation conducted in full cooperation with the AER, we have determined that the seepage occurred in shallower ground layers not protected by the system. In compliance with regulations, the Kearl facility has an advanced seepage interception system for its tailings area, which is a customary design feature for operations such as Kearl. This system is designed to capture any seepage in deep groundwater levels. However, in this instance we believe that the seepage occurred in shallower layers not protected by the system.

Does the seepage pose any danger to humans or wildlife in the area?

• Extensive and ongoing water monitoring has confirmed that seepage has not entered local waterways. As such, there have been no impacts to local drinking water sources. There is no indication of impact to wildlife. 

What is being done to mitigate the seepage?

• Under the guidance of the Alberta Energy Regulator, Imperial is     undertaking several immediate actions to rectify this issue:
  • Ongoing extensive monitoring of local waterways;
  • Installation of additional monitoring and collection wells to expand the site’s existing seepage interception system to better protect against seepage events at all levels;
  • Construction of additional drainage collection structures; and
  • Adding additional surface pumps to ensure water is returned to collection areas.
• Additional fencing is being planned to avoid potential access to the affected area by local wildlife. As an added precaution, Imperial is planning to collect the fish from an on-lease waterbody and install a fish barrier to prevent future migration into the facility. There have been no impacts to baseline water quality in the waterbody.

Imperial today provided an update on work underway at its Kearl oil sands facility. The company has now completed drilling more than 140 wells as part of seep mitigations. Meetings with community leadership and members are underway, additionally we have accommodated requests from communities and governments for independent water sampling at our site. We continue to work with regulatory officials from the Alberta Energy Regulator and government departments to provide information.

Summary

• Drilling completed on additional monitoring and collection wells for seep mitigation.
• Held in-community meetings with Indigenous leaders and community advisory groups to share progress on ongoing cleanup, mitigation and remediation actions.
• Hosted community representatives at Kearl site to conduct independent water sampling.
• Federal Environment Minister confirmed recent tests to date show Fort Chipewyan water is safe, potable, and meets Canadian drinking-water standards.
• The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has declared drinking water to be safe in the community of Fort Chipewyan.
• Imperial’s current monitoring and water sampling data has been stable and shows no impacts to local waterways or drinking water.
• There continues to be no indication of impacts to wildlife or fish.

Seepage mitigation and prevention

Imperial completed drilling more than 140 monitoring and pumping wells as part of its plans to expand its seepage interception system in close proximity to the Kearl lease boundary. Work is now underway to complete these wells and construct drainage structures in the area ahead of the spring melt. About 200 people continue to work on related activities at the site.

Seepage from the tailings containment structures was anticipated and mitigation measures are included in mine design as part of Kearl’s regulatory requirements. Kearl’s seepage interception system is designed to capture seepage in deeper groundwater layers; however, the noted seepage originated in shallower layers. The additional water capture systems will manage the shallow seepage.

The seepage is primarily natural groundwater, with a small amount of industrial wastewater. Several naturally occurring constituents (i.e., minerals and metals) are elevated in the seep locations adjacent to the lease boundary. Importantly, our data tells us that all concentrations reduce quickly with increasing distance from the lease boundary and our monitoring continues to show no change to baseline conditions in the Firebag River.

Cleanup of drainage pond overflow

Sampling work has been conducted to confirm removal of impacted materials due to wastewater released from a drainage pond on January 31, 2023. We are waiting to receive testing results. All visibly impacted surface ice and snow in the area has been removed and safely disposed.

Based on our monitoring, released fluids did not enter any waterways and our water sampling continues to show there has been no impacts to local drinking water sources. There is no indication of impact to wildlife. Imperial continues to work closely with the Alberta Energy Regulator on the cleanup.

Meeting with communities

Imperial is engaging directly with Indigenous community leaders and members to answer their questions, provide information and begin to rebuild trust.

Imperial has been meeting with community leadership and members over recent weeks. We have also hosted community representatives for tours and accommodated requests for independent water sampling at our site.

We have shared our mitigation and monitoring plans with communities and have offered for them to complete their own independent reviews of our technical work.

We appreciate the opportunity to share information directly with communities and hear their feedback. We recognize that we still have work to do in this area and are committed to improving our communications in the future.

Imperial did notify communities at the time of both incidents in May 2022 and February 2023. We deeply regret that during our investigation into the May incident that updates were not regularly provided to communities following our initial notification which did not meet their expectations.

Water quality

Imperial’s current monitoring and water sampling data continues to show that there has been no impact to local waterways or drinking water. The company has maintained a robust water sampling program at Kearl since operations began a decade ago and contracts independent third-party organizations to provide water monitoring services.

We have created an informational video featuring Imperial’s water lead that provides information regarding our ongoing water sampling and monitoring program.

Imperial has offered and is providing drinking water to communities that have ongoing concerns about drinking water quality.

Imperial today provided an update on work underway at its Kearl oil sands facility. Nearly 200 people are working on related activities at the site. The company has toured community leaders through the area, as well as regulatory officials from the Alberta Energy Regulator, the Government of Alberta, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Summary:

• Imperial is progressing seep mitigations; nearing completion of cleanup from drainage pond overflow at Kearl.
• The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has declared drinking water to be safe in the community of Fort Chipewyan.
• Imperial’s current monitoring and water sampling data has been stable and shows no impacts to local waterways or drinking water. Imperial will be sharing further details regarding its water sampling shortly.
• All seven Indigenous communities have been invited to site for tours and to conduct independent monitoring and water sampling; in-community meetings are occurring.
• Imperial confirms there continues to be no indication of impacts to wildlife or fish

Seepage mitigation and prevention

Imperial continues to address isolated areas of shallow seepage in close proximity to the Kearl operating lease. The seepage is primarily natural groundwater and precipitation, with a small amount of industrial wastewater.

The possibility of seepage is anticipated and included in mine design as part of regulatory requirements. Kearl’s seepage interception system is designed to capture seepage in deeper groundwater layers; however, the noted seepage originated in shallower layers.

To address these issues, Imperial is installing additional monitoring and pumping wells, as well as additional drainage structures in the area which will continue to collect water that can be pumped back to collection areas. Imperial has several drilling rigs onsite and work is near completion, we remain on track for 100% completion in the coming days.

• 17 of 17 pumping wells have been drilled
• 42 of 52 shallow monitoring wells have been drilled
• 64 of 72 deep monitoring wells have been drilled

Extensive and ongoing water monitoring has confirmed the seepage is isolated and has not entered local waterways and our water sampling continues to be stable and show there have been no impacts to local drinking water sources. There is no indication of impact to wildlife. Additional fencing has been installed at inactive work areas to prevent potential access by wildlife.

We have shared our mitigation and monitoring plans with communities and have asked for their input on these plans. We have also asked communities to tell us how they would like to participate in these monitoring programs.

Cleanup of drainage pond overflow

Work to clean up wastewater released from a drainage pond on January 31, 2023, is nearing completion. All impacted surface ice and snow in the area has been removed and safely disposed. Sampling is in progress to confirm all impacted materials have been removed.

Based on our monitoring, released fluids did not enter any waterways and our water sampling continues to show there has been no impacts to local drinking water sources. There is no indication of impact to wildlife. Imperial continues to work closely with the Alberta Energy Regulator on the cleanup.

Meeting with communities

Imperial extended invitations to all seven communities to visit the site, and also offered all communities the opportunity to do independent onsite monitoring and water testing. We are working directly with communities that have asked to do so.

Additional in-person meetings with communities are occurring at their request. Meetings are planned to review monitoring information with community representatives, and we are actively answering community questions.

We work hard to maintain transparent communication with our communities, and we recognize the communities’ concerns about delays in receiving additional information.

We deeply regret that our communications during our investigation into the seepage did not meet the expectations of some communities, we have committed to taking the necessary steps to improve our communications, so this does not happen again in the future.

It was always our intent to share our findings when we had more definitively determined the cause and planned actions. We are committed to learning from this and will continue to provide updates to the communities.

Water quality

On March 14, the RMWB issued a public update confirming that final test results of water from the Fort Chipewyan Water Treatment Plant is safe, potable and meets all Canadian drinking water standards and requirements. The RMWB posted the update to its website: 03.14.23-Community-Notice-FCWTP-Update.pdf (rmwb.ca).

In response to community concerns regarding local drinking water, Imperial is providing drinking water to communities who have requested it for emergency back-up purposes. We are in the process of sending a shipment to the community of Fort Chipewyan this week.

Imperial employs a robust water monitoring program at the Kearl site, which has been in operation for over a decade. Our extensive surface water monitoring to date shows no evidence to suggest that local drinking water supplies have been compromised.

The water in the seeps is primarily composed of natural groundwater, with a small contribution of industrial wastewater. Several naturally occurring constituents (i.e., minerals and metals) are elevated in the seep locations adjacent to the lease boundary. Importantly, our data tells us that all concentrations reduce quickly with increasing distance from the lease boundary and our monitoring continues to show no change to baseline conditions in the Firebag River.

Additionally, increased monitoring has been ongoing since the seepage issue was first identified in May 2022 and data has been shared openly with the Alberta Energy Regulator on an ongoing basis. Results have been stable and consistent with above commentary confirming there are no impacts to local drinking water supplies.

Imperial will be sharing further details regarding its water sampling shortly.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) direction issued on March 10, 2023

We are responding to verbal direction provided by ECCC officials following their visit to Imperial’s Kearl site the week of March 6, 2023 and we are waiting for ECCC to provide us with the written Direction. Monitoring to date indicates there has been no impact to fish or local waterways. Several measures were underway prior to issuance by ECCC. Surface water pumps were installed and are helping prevent the seep from entering a waterbody.

Monitoring to date at this waterbody indicates there has been no significant change in baseline conditions. As part of our mitigation and monitoring plans that have been previously submitted to the Alberta Energy Regulator, we plan to collect the fish from this waterbody as a precaution and install a fish barrier to prevent migration.

Imperial understands that Environment and Climate Change Canada is seeking additional information and we are co-operating with the department.

Imperial today provided an update on its cleanup of a drainage pond overflow at its Kearl oil sands facility.

Work to clean up overflow released from the drainage pond on January 31, 2023, has made significant progress both on and in close proximity to the Kearl operations lease. All impacted surface ice and snow in the area has now been removed and safely disposed.

Based on our monitoring, released fluids did not enter any waterways and there have been no impacts to local drinking water sources. There is no indication of impact to wildlife. Imperial will continue to work closely with the Alberta Energy Regulator to certify the cleanup.

Imperial plans to invite community leaders to visit the site and will continue to be responsive in addressing questions and concerns from local Indigenous communities and municipalities in the area.

"First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest apologies for this incident. Cleanup is well advanced, and we are taking all necessary steps to prevent this from happening again. We want to assure communities in the area that monitoring is ongoing and there have been no impacts to waterways,” said Simon Younger, senior vice president of upstream at Imperial.

“Imperial has always been dedicated to transparently communicating with our community partners, including local Indigenous communities, as they rightly expect. We recognize that we have fallen short of these expectations, and we are committed to rebuilding trust by keeping them regularly informed of our operations as we continue addressing this issue.”

Imperial is continuing to address a separate issue related to seepage in close proximity to the Kearl lease. The seepage is primarily natural groundwater and precipitation, with a small amount of industrial wastewater. Extensive and ongoing water monitoring has confirmed that seepage has not entered local waterways. As such, there have been no impacts to local drinking water sources. There is no indication of impact to wildlife.

In compliance with regulations, the Kearl facility has an advanced seepage interception system for its tailings area, which is a customary design feature for operations such as Kearl. Based on the ongoing investigation conducted in full cooperation with the AER, we have determined that the seepage occurred in shallower ground layers not protected by the system. 
Imperial is undertaking several immediate actions to rectify this issue.

These actions include:

1. Ongoing extensive monitoring of local waterways;
2. Drilling work which is underway to install additional monitoring and collection wells to expand the site’s existing seepage interception system to better protect against seepage events at all levels;
3. Construction of additional drainage collection structures; 
4. Adding additional surface pumps to ensure water is returned to collection areas.

Monitoring and sampling programs will continue and Imperial is committed to keeping all stakeholders fully informed as our plans progress.