Skip To Content

Oil Sands Environmental Management Bibliography

The Cumulative Environmental Management Association (CEMA)partnered with the Oil Sands Research and Information Network (OSRIN) to create the new Oil Sands Environmental Management Bibliography, which includes documents relevant to the environmental management of oil sands development in Alberta. The majority of the documents focus on the mineable oil sands in the Athabasca deposit, though some documents relate to in-situ developments. This bibliography was last updated in November 2014.

Lower Athabasca region groundwater management framework

Authors
Year of Publication: 2012

Abstract:
The goal of the Groundwater Management Framework is to enhance the existing system to manage non-saline groundwater resources across the Lower Athabasca Region including management of potential cumulative effects on these resources. It establishes indicators of groundwater quality and quantity and the method for developing triggers and limits.This document forms the basis for more technical, detailed documents that have been prepared for each of the groundwater management areas in the region.

Lower Athabasca Region groundwater management framework: Supporting document for the Cold Lake - Beaver River (CLBR) area

Authors
Year of Publication: 2013

Abstract:
The Groundwater Management Framework outlines a strategy for monitoring, evaluation and reporting, sets early warning triggers to indicate changes in groundwater conditions, and identifies management actions that may be taken when such changes are observed.

Lower Athabasca Region groundwater management framework: Supporting document for the North Athabasca Oil Sands (NAOS) area

Authors
Year of Publication: 2013

Abstract:
This Supporting Document provides summary information about the geology and hydrogeology of the NAOS area, providing a basis for understanding groundwater conditions.

Lower Athabasca Region groundwater management framework: Supporting document for the South Athabasca Oil Sands (SAOS) area

Authors
Year of Publication: 2013

Abstract:
This Supporting Document provides summary information about the geology and hydrogeology of the SAOS area, providing a basis for understanding groundwater conditions.

Lower Athabasca Region status of management response for environmental frameworks

Authors
Year of Publication: 2014

Abstract:
The GOA is reporting to Albertans on the status of the management response to air and surface water trigger exceedances at monitoring stations in the Lower Athabasca Region for the year 2012. This is done under the Air Quality Management Framework for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and the Lower Athbasca Region Surface Water Quality Management Framework for the Lower Athabasca River and fulfills a commitment made in the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan to initiate a management response when annual assessments indicate that triggers or limits have been exceeded. The monitoring results are found int he 2012 Status of Ambient Environmental Condition report.

Lower Athabasca region surface water quality management framework for the lower Athabasca River

Authors
Year of Publication: 2012

Abstract:
The Surface Water Quality Management Framework focuses on the lower Athabasca River downstream of the Grand Rapids to the Athabasca River Delta. It sets surface water quality triggers and limits for 38 indicators measured at the Old Fort monitoring station.

Lower Athabasca Region: Tailings management framework for the mineable Athabasca oil sands

Authors
Year of Publication: 2015

Abstract:
This document provides direction to manage fluid tailings volumes during and after mine operation in order to manage and decrease liability and environmental risk resulting from the accumulation of fluid tailings on the landscape. The Framework builds on, but does not replace, existing provincial legislation and policy on tailings management and reclamation. It will not replace existing management systems. However, it will fill a management gap by providing a framework in which to monitor and manage long-term fluid tailings accumulation and reclamation on the landscape in the Lower Athabasca Region. Requirements under the framework will be administered primarily through the Oil Sands Conservation Act and the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

Lower Athabasca Regional Plan, 2012-2022

Authors
Year of Publication: 2012

Citation:

Lower Athabasca River Phase II water management framework - Process guidelines

Authors Ohlson, D.
Year of Publication: 2008

Abstract:
These guidelines describe the process that will direct development of the Phase II recommendation. Their purpose is three-fold: 1) To establish a set of principles that will enable and encourage the effective participation of all committee members; 2) To set out the steps and components of a structured decision making process; and 3) To outline the committee structure and workplan.

Macro-economic benefits of an expanded oil sands industry

Authors
Year of Publication: 1995

Abstract:
Probable impact of benefits of expanded oil sands development on employment and government revenues were analyzed. Investment in proposed oil sands facilities was forecast to create about 1 million person-years of direct and indirect employment. Forty percent of employment gains would be created in Alberta, with remaining positions mostly in Ontario and Quebec. Government taxes, royalties, reduced debts interest costs and revenues to municipalities, hospitals and pension plans would increase by $97 billion (1994 dollars) between 1995 and 2025. Additional benefits would include increases in average Canadian disposable incomes, substitution of imported with domestic oil, and expansion of gross domestic product in Alberta by 5%. Some variation may be expected because of accuracy of assumptions that were made in the analysis, but the character of the results were not expected to change

Maintenance and dynamics of natural wetlands in western boreal forests: Synthesis of current understanding from the Utikuma research study area

Authors Devito, K., & Mendoza C.
Year of Publication: 2006

Abstract:
This appendix is intended to be a supplement to the wetland construction manual. It provides a synthesis of the literature on hydrologic processes controlling wetland development and maintenance from a Canada perspective, followed by an overview of controls on type, function and maintenance of Boreal Plan wetlands of Alberta.

Making federalism through law: Regulating socio-economic challenges of energy development a case study of Alberta's oil sands and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

Authors Thompson, C. B.
Year of Publication: 2013

Abstract:
Socio-economic challenges of large scale oil and gas development, especially oil sands, within municipal boundaries are not given adequate attention in Alberta’s oil and gas development regulatory framework. There is no forum in the framework that allows a thorough consideration and proactive resolution, by responsible governments, of socio-economic challenges of large scale energy development prior to, or at the time of, project approvals. The jurisdiction of municipal authorities to regulate such development is highly circumscribed. None of the recently adopted initiatives by the province seems to have closed this gap in the regulatory framework. The gap exists because Alberta’s oil and gas regulatory framework adopts the unitary model of governance. Given the critical role of public infrastructure and services in energy resource development, the thesis recommends a reform of Alberta’s legislative and regulatory framework for energy development using federalism and its underlying principle of non-centralization. The thesis recommends a suite of non-centralized intergovernmental mechanisms which can conveniently fit into the regulatory framework and anchored in the energy legislative scheme. Using legally-mandated intergovernmental partnerships, Alberta can proactively obviate severe growth pressures, crippling demands on public infrastructure and services, lower quality of life for workers in the host areas, difficulty in attracting and retaining a workforce, and greater risk to energy resource development and huge private investment. A weather-proof regulatory framework with built-in, federal fail-safe mechanisms that enable energy development projects while preserving the wellbeing of host communities is sine qua non to achieve Alberta’s ambitious global energy leadership goals.

Mammalian toxicity of naphthenic acids derived from the Athabasca oil sands

Authors Rogers, V. V.
Year of Publication: 2003

Abstract:
Naphthenic acids are a diverse group of saturated mono- and polycyclic carboxylic acids that are natural constituents of petroleum. These compounds are a major contributor to petroleum's acidic nature and can account for as much as 4% of crude petroleum by weight. At the Athabasca oil sands (AOS) located in northeastern Alberta, Canada, naphthenic acids have received considerable attention. The AOS represent the world's largest, single petroleum deposit, where the petroleum is in the form of bitumen. Extracting bitumen from AOS is a complex process, requiring the mixing of oil sands with hot,alkaline (pH = 8.0) water to separate the bitumen from sand and other waste products. This process produces an immense volume of aqueous tailings, about 7.5 m 3 for each m3 of synthetic crude petroleum produced. Nearly one billion cubic meters of aqueous tailings will have amassed in large holding ponds near the mine sites by 2025, and will be incorporated into the ecosystem under wet and dry landscape reclamation strategies. Another consequence of the extraction process is that naphthenic acids (pKa ≅ 5) become solubilized and concentrated (90--110 mg/L) in aqueous tailings. Numerous studies have investigated the aquatic toxicity of naphthenic acids, demonstrating them to be highly toxic to invertebrates and fish at concentrations well below those found in AOS tailings. In contrast, information about the mammalian toxicity of naphthenic acids is limited, particularly the effects of repeated, oral exposure. In the current research, naphthenic acids were isolated from tailings obtained from Mildred Lake settling basin, the main tailings pond of Syncrude Canada Ltd, and used in mammalian toxicity testing. An acidification/solvent extraction procedure was used, followed by ultrafiltration to isolate the naphthenic acids. These were chemically analysed, revealing a highly heterogenous mixture of acyclic and 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-ringed compounds. Acute testing using Wistar rats demonstrated significant (P < 0.05) behavioural and histopathological effects in both sexes at a single dosage of 300 mg/kg body weight of napthenic acids. This dosage is 50 times higher than the estimated worst-case, single day environmental exposure through drinking water for small mammals in the wild. Effects included temporary suppression of appetite, and pericholangitis, a biliary inflammatory response. Subchronic dosing, involving administration of naphthenic acids to females over a 90 d period, indicated that 60 mg/kg/d was sufficient to elicit significant (P < 0.05), toxic effects.

Management of oil sands tailings

Year of Publication: 2002

Abstract:
In Alberta, oil sands bitumen is utilized for synthetic crude oil (SCO) production by surface mining, bitumen extraction followed by primary (coking) and secondary (catalytic hydrotreating) upgrading processes. SCO is further refined in specially designed or slightly modified conventional refineries into transportation fuels. Oil sands tailings, composed of water, sands, silt, clay and residual bitumen, is produced as a byproduct of the bitumen extraction process. The tailings have poor consolidation and water release characteristics. For twenty years, significant research has been performed to improve the consolidation and water release characteristics of the tailings. Several processes were developed for the management of oil sands tailings, resulting in different recovered water characteristics, consolidation rates and consolidated solid characteristics. These processes may affect the performance of the overall plant operations. Apex Engineering Inc. (AEI) has been developing a process for the same purpose. In this process oil sands tailings are treated with Ca(OH)2 lime and CO2 and thickened using a suitable thickener. The combination of chemical treatment and the use of a thickener results in the release of process water in short retention times without accumulation of any ions in the recovered water. This makes it possible to recycle the recovered water, probably after a chemical treatment, as warm as possible, which improves the thermal efficiency of the extraction process. The AEI Process can be applied in many different fashions for the management of different fractions of the tailings effluent, depending on the overall plant operating priorities.

Managing impacts of major projects: An analysis of the Enbridge Gateway pipeline proposal

Authors Van Hinte, T.
Year of Publication: 2005

Abstract:
Enbridge, a major pipeline company, has proposed a new pipeline termed the Gateway Project to transport increased crude oil production in the Alberta oil sands to market. The Gateway Project would include construction of a 1,100-1,300-kilometer crude oil pipeline from northern Alberta to British Columbia's (B.C.) north coast and a marine terminal to transport crude oil on tankers from the pipeline to U.S. and Asian markets. This report provides an overview of potential environmental impacts, socioeconomic effects, and institutional issues associated with the Gateway Project on Coastal First Nations in B.C. Pipelines, ports, and tankers have potential to create detrimental environmental effects and socioeconomic impacts on communities. In addition, an evaluation of current regulatory and approval processes for pipeline, port, and tanker projects reveals several deficiencies. To address these issues, Enbridge and Coastal First Nations should engage in a comprehensive impact and benefits agreement (IBA) negotiation and implementation process.

Managing regional cumulative effects of oil sands development in Alberta, Canada

Year of Publication: 2000

Abstract:
This paper demonstrates an approach to regional cumulative effects management using the case of oil sands development in Alberta, Canada. The 17 existing, approved, or planned projects, all concentrated in a relatively small region, pose significant challenges for conducting and reviewing cumulative effects assessment (CEA) on a project-by-project basis. In response, stakeholders have initiated a regional cumulative effects management system that is among the first such initiatives anywhere. Advantages of this system include (1) more efficient gathering and sharing of information, including a common regional database, (2) setting acceptable regional environmental thresholds for all projects, (3) collaborative assessment of similar cumulative effects from related projects, (4) co-ordinated regulatory review and approval process for overlapping CEAs, and (5) institutional empowerment from a Regional Sustainable Development Strategy administered by a public authority. This case provides a model for integrating project-based CEA with regional management of cumulative effects.

Managing the cumulative impacts of land uses in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin: A modeling approach

Year of Publication: 2003

Abstract:
In this paper we present a case study from northeastern Alberta, Canada. Our objective is to demonstrate a fundamentally different approach to forest management in which stakeholders weigh current management options in terms of their long-term effects on the forest in order to balance conservation and economic objectives. We use ALCES®, a landscape-scale simulation model, to quantify the effects of the current regulatory framework and typical industrial practices on a suite of ecological and economic indicators over the next 100 years. Our simulations suggest that if current practices continue, the combined activities of the energy and forestry industries in our 59,000 km2 study area will cause the density of human-origin edge to increase from 1.8 km/km2 to a maximum of 8.0 km/km2. We also predict that older age classes of merchantable forest stands will be largely eliminated from the landscape, habitat availability for woodland caribou will decline from 43% to 6%, and there will be a progressive shortfall in the supply of softwood timber, beginning in approximately 60 years. Additional simulations involving a suite of “best practices” demonstrated that substantial improvements in ecological outcome measures can be achieved, while maintaining a sustainable flow of economic benefits, through alternative management scenarios. We discuss the merits of our proposed approach to land-use planning, with application to the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

Managing woody materials on industrial sites: Meeting economic ecological and forest health goals through a collaborative approach

Authors Vinge, T., & Pyper M.
Year of Publication: 2012

Abstract:
Neat and tidy, that’s the way industrial sites have traditionally been managed in the boreal forest. But this approach is increasingly being re-evaluated. Research suggests that although clearing woody materials from sites can provide short-term bene ts in terms of re control, longer-term goals like forest regeneration and biodiversity conservation are often not realized. This has prompted the Government of Alberta to explore new ways to promote enhanced reclamation of industrial sites while managing re risks. Similarly, proactive companies are seeking new reclamation tools in order to achieve a step change in their environmental performance. Woody materials (dead wood such as logs, branches and stumps) are a cost effective tool for realizing this step change. Research shows that the simple act of leaving woody material on reclaimed sites introduces microsites and variability. These microsites serve as critical habitat for a range of native plant species, seedlings, and microorganisms that are essential for the regeneration of forests. Woody material can also provide habitat for forest insects and mammals, and play a key role in nutrient cycles over time. Thus, woody materials represent a signi cant opportunity for reclaiming industrial sites (e.g., oil and gas sites). To further clarify opportunities related to woody materials, we undertook a literature review to provide recommendations for incorporating woody material into reclamation programs. We used an integrated approach that included: 1) site visits to current in-situ oil sand operations; 2) a review of current policy and regulatory guidelines; 3) a review of scienti c research; and 4) the development of a series of management implications. These steps will serve as a guide to the use of woody material, and assist with e cient planning of reclamation programs. Our review of regulations suggests a gradual evolution in perception towards woody material. Until recently, companies were required to completely remove woody material from sites through piling and burning, as mandated by the Forest and Prairie Protection Act (FPPA). Regulations under the FPPA are designed to limit re risks in the province, and total disposal of woody material was traditionally seen as necessary to achieve this objective. However, recent changes in the 2010 Reclamation Criteria for Wellsites and Associated Facilities on Forested Lands permit, and even encourage, the use of woody material as a reclamation tool. These new criteria balance re risks and reclamation potential by requiring that excessive accumulation of material does not occur on sites, and that piles are not left following operations. The recommendations in this Woody Material Review are therefore focused on defining volume thresholds and techniques that will balance there concerns with reclamation potential. The techniques we identified for managing woody materials included: mulching, rough mulching, chunking, and using whole logs. For the purposes of this review, we focused our e orts on the two most common techniques, mulching, and utilizing whole logs.

Manual of plant species suitability for reclamation in Alberta - 2nd Edition

Authors
Year of Publication: 1989

Abstract:
In 1980 RRTAC published RRTAC Report No. 80-5: Manual of Plant Species Suitability for Reclamation in Alberta to provide users with information on a variety of plant species suitable for use in reclamation programs in Alberta. The manual was well received and went out of print in late 1988. An \"updated\" manual was prepared in 1989. The \"update\" added new information on the species in the manual which had become available through operational and research activities, primarily in Alberta. Performance data on new varieties tested in Alberta and new species (Pinus banksiana and Agropyron dasystachyum) were also added to the manual. With the addition of the new species the manual includes information on forty-four grasses, fourteen forbs and thirty-five trees and shrubs. The objectives of the \"update\" were: 1. to reprint original information in RRTAC Report 80-5: Manual of Plant Species Suitability for Reclamation in Alberta, and 2. to add new information to the manual. Prior to reprinting, the species information was reorganized under several major headings: Species Biology, Species Tolerances and Reclamation Considerations. In order to further improve the accessibility of the information contained in the manual, a summary page with a suitability map was prepared for each species. The summary, presented in tabular form, provides, for key reclamation parameters, a rating of the performance of each species. A Species Suitability Map for each species identifies the ecoregion(s) of Alberta where the species is best suited based upon information from field test results and natural occurrence of the species in Alberta. A Combined Performance Chart was also prepared for each of the grass, forb and tree/shrub groups, rating each species for selected key reclamation parameters.

Manual of river ice evaluation

Authors Carson, R. W.
Year of Publication: 2003

Abstract:
This document contains practical guidelines to assist in approximate analysis and prediction of potential effects from ice processes on river flow and river geomorphology. The text offers numerous practical rules of thumb and guidelines for consideration of ice processes.

Mapping the linear footprint in the RMWB: Summary of new data

Year of Publication: 2011

Abstract:
The purpose of this project was to update the linear footprint data for 166 townships in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) with SPOT satellite imagery no older than 2008, and map the linear footprint for the entire RMWB. Between this project and recent mapping by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD), all linear footprint data for the RMWB will be derived from imagery no older than 2008, with the exception of a small portion of National Topographic Series (NTS) map unit 84H, which is based on imagery from 2005. However, there has been little development in that area, therefore more recent updating was deemed unnecessary.

Enter keywords or search terms and press Search

Search this site


Subscribe to the site

Syndicate content

Bookmark and Share