Backgrounder: Alberta Oil Sands Development and Impacts on Water

·         529 million cubic meters of water per year is expected to be withdrawn from the Athabasca River by existing and planned oil sands projects.

·         25 per cent of the Athabasca River's flow will be withdrawn if all licensed lower Athabasca River users withdraw during low-flow period.

·         Oil sands operators currently obtain their water for free.

·         370 million cubic meters of freshwater from the Athabasca River was licensed for use in oil sands production in 2006.

·         Less than 10% of the freshwater withdrawn from the river is returned.

·         2 to 4.5 barrels of water are used to produce 1 barrel of bitumen.

·         1.5 barrels of mature fine tailings are produced for every barrel of bitumen.

·         720 million cubic meters of fine tailings currently exist in long-term containment.

·         There is no commercially demonstrated method to reclaim mature fine tailings.

·         Tailings ponds contain the following substances that are potentially toxic to people in the environment: naphthenic acids, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals.

·         The Athabasca River is a major tributary of the Mackenzie River Basin. Decreasing flows have the potential to affect the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan.

For more information, please visit www.ecojustice.ca and www.oilsandswatch.org