Hundreds Of Ducks Dead Or Dying After Landing On Syncrude Tar Sands Tailing Pond

[hatrack]

Hundreds of migrating ducks are dead or dying after landing on a tailings pond owned by Syncrude Canada Ltd., and ice surrounding the small lake full of toxic sludge is hampering rescue efforts.

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach was visibly angry yesterday as he questioned why noise-making cannons were not deployed to scare the waterfowl away from the pond filled with oil sands wastes.

"The problem here is that there's ice around the pond and you can't just push a boat in ," the Premier said. "The company will have to lower the boats by crane into the water."

Company and government officials estimate there are roughly 500 birds trapped in the toxic pond in a disaster that has never before been witnessed in the Northern Alberta oil sands region. "Many of them will die as a result of this incident," said Syncrude spokesman Alain Moore. The birds landed on the pond Monday. Mr. Moore said the company is working with Alberta Fish and Wildlife in hopes of rescuing some of the birds.

EDIT

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080430.BIRDSSB30//TPStory/Environment

[mike_c]

1. that is horrific....

eom

[dbackjon]

2. Sickening - and a byproduct of Alberta's rape of the North

[stuntcat]

3. sick

I am more ashamed every day.