Tag: Syncrude

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Alberta Ft Mac Health

Syncrude Shuts Down All Operations in Fort McMurray Area, Wood Bison Herd Still at Risk

Syncrude has shut down all company operations in the Fort McMurray area because of the massive wildfire that is still raging, and the wood bison herd that has taken decades to build up are still at risk. This is the first time ever that the energy giant has stopped all operations, and the herd that Syncrude took so much time and money to populate in order to show that reclamation efforts can be effective. The wood bison herd has 300 animals, and they are maintained at the Beaver Creek Wood Bison Ranch close to the Mildred Lake project that Syncrude operates. According to a statement from company spokesperson Leithan Slade “Syncrude has left as much food and water as possible for the bison and they remain on site at this time.”

Syncrude is just one of several oil companies that have evacuated all of their personnel close to the fort McMurray area, but the wood bison herd can not be evacuated like the people can. The herd of wood bison is a point of pride for most of the people in Fort McMurray and the surrounding area because the animals are native to the area. It may be possible to attempt to evacuate the herd at some point in the future but this would be a risky endeavor that would be very costly and could cause stress on the animals or place them at risk for injury during the evacuation. Hopefully the fire crews will be able to prevent the wildfire from reaching the wood bison herd so that the animals remain safe.

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Alberta Ft Mac Health

Environmental Protection Order Issued by Alberta Energy Regulator Against Syncrude

environmental protection order, Syncrude

Syncrude has been hit with an environmental protection order from the Alberta Energy Regulator after 30 blue heron deaths at one of the Syncrude facilities. The order shows that the company must immediately comply with the requests, and they must provide an aerial picture of the site of the accident to the regulator. The aerial photo must show any monitoring wells, and provide the agency with information on the capacity of the sumps where the blue herons were located when they were found. The company also has to collect sump samples, and test the area as well. The sample locations must be provided along with the samples. Syncrude must make daily reports, to the public and to the director, and these must be posted by 3pm until the regulator decides differently.

The environmental protection order against Syncrude is part of the investigation into the blue heron deaths. When a company found the first blue heron the bird was alive and covered in bitumen, and it had to be euthanized. When employees searched further they found the bodies of 29 dead blue herons as well. Bob Curran, the AER spokesperson, said “There’s a variety of things they put in place to prevent these types of cases. However, the company also has a responsibility to make sure the site is not negatively impacting wildlife. They have an obligation to make sure the site is safe.” Mark Ward, the CEO for Syncrude, said “I want to assure Canadians we will take the time necessary to conduct a very thorough investigation. Our organization and our employees are completely committed to finding out what happened and addressing it.”

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Alberta Health

Blue Heron Deaths at Syncrude Site Under Investigation

blue heron deaths, Syncrude

The recent blue heron deaths at a Syncrude site are under investigation. Approximately 30 dead blue herons have been located at the Mildred Lake site operated by Syncrude. The Syncrude Canada spokesman Will Gibson reported that the first dead birds were found Wednesday afternoon close to a pump house at the site, and there were 29 birds initially found. One of the blue herons was still alive but had to be euthanized. Shannon Phillips, the Environment Minister for Alberta, said “Events like this are extremely troubling, and that’s why we have taken initial, very quick steps to ensure there is a high quality investigation, which has already begun.” An investigation by the Alberta Energy Regulator has been started to determine the cause of death for the blue herons.

The investigation into the blue heron deaths at the Syncrude site will be thorough. Gibson reassured the public that the blue heron deaths are being investigated as a serious matter, saying “There will be a very thorough investigation into what caused this. We are co-operating with the three agencies that are investigating this on site. We intend to find out what happened and address it. From our CEO on down…this is something that every Syncrude employee wants to find out the answers to. Because there’s nobody happy at our site today.” Energy Regulator spokesperson Bob Curran stated “Where they found them was close to an old sump. And the bird that they first found was oiled in that bitumen.” Gibson reported that the wildlife deterrence systems were operating, and added “Those are deployed in areas where there’s active tailings facilities. When we file our waterfowl protection plan, with the regulator, that’s where we have to have our deterrents.”

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Alberta Canada Ft Mac

Generous Syncrude Donation Promotes Trades in Alberta High Schools

Syncrude, Alberta high schools
Syncrude, Alberta high schools

A generous donation by Syncrude will be used to promote trades in Alberta high schools, with the goal of creating interest in the trades in high school students. The donation totaled $300,000, and it was provided to Skills Canada Alberta to support the organization initiative Skills in the Classroom. According to a statement from Syncrude Skills Canada Alberta was chosen for the donation because the organization changes the way students, teachers, and parents think about the trades as a career path. The generous donation will be used for the next 3 years to finance competitions and help to promote interest in the trades in Alberta high schools. According to the vice president of maintenance for Syncrude, Jim Richards, “We had supported Skills Canada on a year-by-year basis for the past two years and have been very impressed with their work. They have been hugely successful in engaging high school students. They hosted more than 28,000 students at their various events in 2014.”

Skills Canada has held many competitions for Alberta high school students in 45 different areas of the trades and technology, and these competitions help students connect with industry leaders and post secondary individuals who can be influential for trade students. According to the executive director of Skills Canada Alberta, Chris Browton, “Youth can benefit from careers in Alberta’s robust economy when they are provided with the right combination of inspiration, information, and opportunity. The partnership with Syncrude allows us to support students as they turn their interests into in-demand and valued careers.”