Maraev 1

David Maraev
Wendy Melnick
ENG4U1
January 3 2015
The Negative Effects of Extracting Bitumen on Albertas Lakes and Rivers
The extraction of the fossil fuel, bitumen, from the Alberta oil sands is an
environmentally damaging process that has caused many of the nearby lakes and rivers to
become heavily polluted and unsafe to drink from. This has been an important issue for the first
nations people living around bitumen extraction sites in Alberta for several years now, since
major production sites within the Fort McMurray area such as the Athabasca oil sands are known
to have the largest deposits of bitumen in the world. Bitumen is the oil based substance which is
mined, extracted, and then converted into synthetic crude oil. The problem with the mining
process of bitumen is the inevitable water pollution it inflicts on Albertas lakes and rivers; and
the problem with water pollution is that it is negatively affecting the population of aquatic life in
these lakes and rivers as well as the health of the people who are in close proximity of them.
Nonetheless, extraction and exportation of bitumen and synthetic crude oil plays a major role in
Canadas economy; in fact, the government has stated that they plan on increasing the production
of crude oil as it is their main export and creates thousands of jobs.
Oil sands development brings with it tremendous benefits to the people of Alberta
and Canada. Royalties, tax revenue, jobs and investment translate into valuable

Maraev 2
government services and wealth for our citizens. For example, forecasts show the
oil sands industry will provide 450,000 jobs across Canada annually for the next
quarter century. (Canadian Energy Research Institute)
The Canadian government have set their minds on believing that the expansion of the oil
industry in Alberta is the key to a brighter future, but if they would just take a step back to look
at the bigger picture, they would see the problem they are creating. Extraction of bitumen and
production of synthetic crude oil in Alberta is allowing Canada to be a major competitor in
becoming one of the largest exporters of synthetic crude oil in the world, but according to
scientific research and economic data, it is becoming clear that these temporary economic
benefits are outweighed by the negative effects of water pollution on Albertas lakes and rivers as
well as the declining health of the people who live in their proximity.
The production of crude oil was not always at top of the list for the Canadian
government. It was only after World War 1 that Canadas government realized they were entirely
dependent on foreign oil which prompted them to take interest in oil sands research. The bitumen
that oil companies surface mined from the oil sands was not used to produce synthetic crude oil
until the company Suncor began upgrading and refining it in 1967. Historically, bitumen was
used for waterproofing, roofing and paving roads - which is still one of its main uses.
Documented mentions of bitumen deposits in Canada go all the way back to 1717, but it wasnt
until 1875 that John Macoun of the Canadians Geological Survey (GSC) registered the presence
of oil sands. Seven years later, Robert Bell of the GSC went back to do a second survey on the
Alberta oil sands and was the first person to recognize the potential economic benefits of the

Maraev 3
area. At first, Bell believed there were large reservoirs of petroleum underneath the oil sands and
suggested that drilling was the only way to find and extract the oil. Several drilling sites were
opened between 1906 and 1917 in an attempt to locate pools of oil but that was proven to be
unsuccessful. The technology to remove bitumen from the oil sands was not yet available
because at that time oil companies were simply looking for good places to drill oil instead of
mining and refining bitumen. During that time frame, Sidney Ells, an engineer working for the
GSC, experimented with bitumen extraction, presented his findings which showed that it was
possible to extract bitumen from the oil sands using the method of hot water and flotation;
chemist Karl Clark perfected and patented this method as the hot water separation process in
1928. After this method came to light, several oil companies began using it to extract bitumen
from the oil sands mining sites. There are currently two different ways of mining bitumen:
surface mining and in-situ mining. Only 20% of all oil sands are close enough to the surface to
be mined, so a method called in-situ mining is required when the oil sands are too far
underground (Suncor). In-situ mining is when steam is injected into the oil sands to make the
bitumen come to the surface; this method uses less water than surface mining but is still
significantly damaging to Albertas water supply. Several oil companies learned these mining
and extraction methods to begin producing bitumen, but unfortunately there was no profit in
selling raw bitumen at the time since its true economic potential was not yet discovered.
Eventually, after several years of research proved it was possible to convert bitumen into
synthetic crude oil, the value of bitumen significantly increased. Suncor was the first oil
company to discover and put this process to the test, which led to the birth of the companys
future. Now, Suncor is the largest oil and gas producer in Canada; they are planning on

Maraev 4
continuing their legacy through further expansion and production. In the early years of Suncor,
investing in the oil sands was considered by many to be the biggest gamble in history; in a way
that was true in terms of how it is currently gambling with the health and safety of the people
and environment of Alberta by using up and contaminating Canadas water supply. Suncor, along
with several other oil companies currently operating in Canada, are still using the hot water
separation process to extract and process bitumen.
One of the biggest problems with the extraction of bitumen and production of synthetic
crude oil is that it requires the use of large amounts of fresh water. The required use of fresh
water means that the water being used in the extraction process must be directly taken from the
lakes and rivers that people use as a source to drink and bathe from: Producing a barrel of
synthetic crude oil from the oil sands by mining requires two to four barrels of fresh water after
taking into account water recycling (R. J. Mikula et al.). This is very alarming considering the
fact that oil sands production is currently around 2.3 million barrels per day a number which is
increasing annually. As a result, the large scale depletion of fresh water in Alberta is severely
damaging the ecosystem and the conservation of the region: After its industrial use, almost all
of this water is contaminated with toxins and must be diverted to tailings ponds, not only
depleting freshwater from the Athabasca-Peace-Mackenzie Delta (a World Heritage Site), but
removing freshwater from the natural hydrological cycle overall (Greenpeace). Alongside the
issue of freshwater depletion, the damaging process also causes the water used during extraction
to become highly toxic, which means it cannot go back to its source; instead it is dumped into
large dirt pits called tailing ponds that are scattered all over Alberta: There are currently over
720 billion litres of toxic tailings on the landscape in the Athabasca oil sands area. These ponds

Maraev 5
cover an area of more than 130 square kilometres. By 2040 these tailings are expected to occupy
310 square kilometres, an area nearly the size of Vancouver (ERCB releases draft directive on
oil sands tailings management). Furthermore, tailing ponds are not considered to be an efficient
means of disposing polluted water according to the National Energy Board of Canada: One of
the major concerns associated with tailings ponds is the migration of pollutants through the
groundwater system, which can in turn leak into surrounding soil and surface water (Canadas
Oil Sands: Opportunities and Challenges to 2015 68). In other words, the toxic pollutants that
have been detected in the ponds are able to seep through the groundwater system directly into the
lakes, rivers and soil in the area. Scientists involved in identifying the different kinds of
pollutants in the Athabasca River and its nearby lakes have discovered: naphthenic acids,
polymathic hydrocarbons and several kinds of trace metals. Several studies and experiments
have been carried out by scientists working with Environment Canada to determine how serious
of a threat these chemical pollutants are to the environment and the health of people living
around them; here is their conclusion on just one of the toxic pollutants; naphthenic acids:
Naphthenic acids have been identified as an environmental and health
concern. Environment Canada has identified them as the primary source of
toxicity in tar sands tailings, as has Alberta Environment. Many scientific studies
have demonstrated the environmental impacts of oil sands tailings, and point to
naphthenic acids as the main source of toxicity.(Leung et al, 2003; BendellYoung
et al, 2000; Gentes et al, 2006; Peters et al 2007; Pollet et al 2000; Rogers et al
2002; van den Heuvel et al, 2000; Young et al, 2007).

Maraev 6
After this conclusion was made, more recent studies proved that Furthermore, aromatic
hydrocarbons, lead, mercury, cadmium are in snow and water downstream of the oil sands
facilities, and that several exceeded what is considered a safe level (Kelly et al, 2009; Kelly et al,
2010). According to this information, toxic pollutants that are products of bitumen extraction
are clearly being detected in the surrounding environment. Contingent upon this, the Alberta
Cancer Board have determined that the elevated cancer rates of people living within the
Athabasca region can be directly linked to oil sands pollution. These elevated rates of cancer
seem to be linked to chemical seepage being able to spread beyond lakes, rivers and soil to go
into the air, according to Environment Canada scientist, Elisabeth Galarneau: We found that
there actually does appear to be a net flow of these compounds going from water to air, she
said. Its just a bit under five times higher from the ponds than whats been reported
(Galarneau et al.). Provided with the evidence that shows these deadly chemicals are spreading to
the surrounding environment and air while going unreported by oil companies is worrying.
The problem with unreported pollution has become increasingly worse with oil
companies throughout the years; this became especially true when Bill C-38 was introduced by
the Canadian government back in 2012. The industry friendly bill changed laws in order to
exempt pipelines from the Navigational Waters Act; an act that was put into place to protect and
conserve Canadas water supply. The bill also cut monitoring water effluent from mines by 20%;
meaning that the monitoring of water quality has been drastically decreased, thus allowing more
unreported toxic pollutants to damage the health and safety of the people and environment of
Alberta. This bill is a clear portrayal of the Canadian governments ignorance towards the issue
at hand. Toxic chemicals are severely damaging Albertas lakes and rivers while the government

Maraev 7
continues to fund the oil companies creating the damage. It is becoming clear that more research
needs to go into determining the environmental and health risks associated with extracting fossil
fuels such as bitumen. Research needs to go into what can be done to diminish the damage
already done instead of allowing oil companies to pump more money into expanding production.
The Canadian government needs to change laws and regulations in order to help conservation of
Albertas lakes and rivers instead of introducing bills that are only making it easier for oil
companies to get away with the damage they are causing. Several concerned individuals such as
Canadian music legend, Neil young have expressed their feelings towards the way things are
being handled in the Fort McMurray area: When I got to Fort McMurray, I'd driven my electric
car up there using an alternative renewable fuel to get there because that's what our film was
about. When I got out of the car, the first thing I smelled was fuel. But then I realized that was
the air. he went on to say how his short trip to Alberta completely changed his views on being a
Canadian: It all surprises me. This is Canada. This is a huge surprise for me. I'm from Canada,
I'm Canadian, so I'm proud of Canada. I speak as a Canadian. I always have felt that Canada
was a different place, where the values were different and that we cherished the natural
surroundings that we're in. But my visit to Alberta changed a lot of that for me (Young). People
like Neil Young are what Canadians currently need. Individuals like him are giving Canadian
citizens a wakeup call and telling them that if more people dont stand up and protest to what is
currently happening in Alberta, things will only get worse for our beloved nation.
Although the large scale extraction of bitumen means that there will be more jobs
and a better economy for Canadians, it unfortunately also means that problems in terms of water
pollution, declining health, endangered aquatic life, and struggles for the conservation of

Maraev 8
Albertas lakes and rivers will only get worse. Scientifically proven research has shown that if
this issue is not addressed in time, water pollution will continue to get worse and the health of
the thousands of first nations people living in the Fort McMurray area will rapidly decline at an
exponentially increasing rate due to the selfish agenda of the oil industry. Oil companies in
Canada must begin taking a better approach towards how they extract and process bitumen
before they decide to expand production. The damage shown in several studies have concluded
that the danger is clear, so making efforts in determining what can be done to minimize the
amount of toxic chemicals in the water should be priority number one. Instead of cutting the
amount of monitoring done to the water, the government should significantly increase it and also
start funding water treatment. Several scientists and environmentalists working for the NSERC
have already considered this and have determined that physical, chemical and biological
treatment of the contaminated water is possible but must be sufficiently funded. A hypothetical
treatment train created by the NSERC has shown that filtration of oil sands tailing water is
possible through Ozonation, adsorption and Membrane filtration. These methods need to be put
into place immediately in order to reduce toxicity and ultimately protect the health and safety of
the environment and people of Alberta. Standing up and protesting to the way things are
currently being handled in the oil industry is the only way Canadians are going to see any
positive change. The largest industrial project in human history is happening right now in Canada
so it is up to the people of Canada to prevent further damage to their water supply and stop the
pollution that should have never started.

Maraev 9
Works Cited
Alberta's Oil Sands Alberta's Clean Energy Story. Alberta's Oil Sands Alberta's Clean Energy
Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
Alberta's Tailings Management Framework. Alberta's Tailings Management Framework. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
"Bill C-38: The Environmental Destruction Act | The Tyee." The Tyee. N.p., May 2012. Web. 12
Jan. 2016.
El-din, Mohamed Gamal, Ph.D. "University of Heidelberg." SpringerReference (n.d.): n. pag.
NSERC. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
Energy Resources Conservation Board. Data for Mineable Oil Sands Current and Projected
Tailings and Footprint Area. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016
"History of the Oil Sands." - Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP). RAMP, n.d. Web.
12 Jan. 2016.
McEachern, Gillian. NPRI naphthenic acids request. Environmental Defence. 2010. PDF file.
Web. 12 Jan. 2016
Neb, National Energy Board -. Canada Oil Sands Opportunities and Challenges to 2015: An
Update - Energy Market Assessment - June 2006 (n.d.): n. pag. National Energy Board,
2015. Web. 12 Jan. 2016."Navigation Protection Act (R.S.C., 1985, C. N22)." Legislative Services Branch. [Canadian government]., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.

Maraev 10
"Neil Young's Top Ten Quotes about the Tar Sands - Tar Sands Solutions Network." Neil Young's
Top Ten Quotes about the Tar Sands - Tar Sands Solutions Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 12
Jan. 2016.
"Oil Sands Process About Us Suncor." Oil Sands Process About Us Suncor. N.p., n.d.
Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
Press, The Canadian. "Study Shows Oilsands Tailings Ponds Releasing Toxic Chemicals into
Air." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 28 Nov. 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
R. J. Mikula ,V. A. Munoz and O. Omotoso. Water Use in Bitumen Production: Tailings
Management in Surface Mined Oil Sands. 2008. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
"Synthetic Crude Oil Manufacturing by Upgrading Tar Sand
Bitumen." Bitumenengineering.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
.. Tar Sands and Water (n.d.): n. pag. Greenpeace. Web. 16 Jan. 2016.
"The Oil Sands Story (1960s, 1970s & 1980s) - Suncor." The Oil Sands Story (1960s, 1970s &
1980s) - Suncor. Suncor, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
"What Are Oil Sands?" Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan.
2016.