Tailings, Water & Emissions
Tailings regulation, mine water, water use, greenhouse gases, air quality and regional monitoring.
How oil sands mining creates tailings
After bitumen recovery, large volumes of sand, fine clay, water and residual bitumen remain as tailings.
How Alberta regulates fluid tailings
Alberta’s Tailings Management Framework and AER Directive 085 require operators to manage fluid tailings toward approved targets and reclamation readiness.
In-pit tailings and mined-out pits
Some mine plans use completed pits as locations for tailings deposits and future reclaimed landforms.
Greenhouse-gas emissions from oil sands systems
Oil sands emissions arise from fuel combustion, steam generation, upgrading, mine equipment, hydrogen production and fugitive sources.
Air-quality monitoring in the oil sands region
Air emissions and atmospheric deposition are monitored through project, regional, Alberta and federal programs.
Water use across oil sands extraction pathways
Mining and in situ extraction both use water, but source, intensity and recycling systems differ.
Canada-Alberta environmental monitoring in the oil sands
The Oil Sands Monitoring Program studies air, water, wildlife contaminants, biodiversity and landscape disturbance across the region.
Tailings and mine-water reclamation in 2026
Alberta is developing a long-term approach to oil sands mine water and tailings-pond reclamation following recommendations from a multi-party steering committee.