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EnvironmentOilSpill7TuesdaySeptember102013TheSyncrudeProjectisajointventureundertakingamongCanadianOilSandsPartnership1ImperialOilResourcesMocalEnergyLimitedMurphyOilCompanyLtd.NexenOilSandsPartnershipSinopecOilSandsPartnershipandSuncorEnergyVenturesPartnership.PROPOSEDTERMSOFREFERENCESyncrudeCanadaLtd.SyncrudeproposestodeveloptheMildredLakeExtensionProjecttheProjecttosustainbitumenproductionlevelsattheMildredLakefacilitysubsequenttodepletionofthecurrentlyapprovedminingareas.TheProjectconsistsoftwoadditionalminingareasandaffiliatedperimeterfeatureswithinandadjacenttothecurrentlyapprovedminingareas.PendingregulatoryapprovalthedevelopmenttimelinefortheProjectcontemplatesproductionofbitumenin2023.TheProjectislocatedapproximately40kilometresnorthofFortMcMurrayonOilSandsLeases17and22withinTownships91through94Ranges10through12W4MandwithintheRegionalMunicipalityofWoodBuffalo.TheDirectorresponsibleforEnvironmentalAssessmenthasdirectedthatanEnvironmentalImpactAssessmentReportbepreparedfortheMildredLakeExtensionProject.SyncrudehaspreparedaproposedTermsofReferenceforthisEnvironmentalImpactAssessmentandthroughthispublicnoticeinvitesthepublictoreviewthisdocument.AnycommentsfiledconcerningtheproposedTermsofReferencewillbeaccessibletothepublic.TheproposedTermsofReferenceandassociatedprojectinformationcanbeviewedatsyncrude.comorthefollowinglocationsSyncrudeCanadaLtd.MildredLakeExtensionProjectEnvironmentalImpactAssessmentPUBLICNOTICEForfurtherinformationontheMildredLakeExtensionProjectorcopiesoftheproposedTermsofReferenceandassociatedprojectinformationpleasecontactSyncrudeCanadaLtd.AttnCherylRobbP.O.Bag4023MD1000FortMcMurrayABT9H3H5TollFree1-800-667-9494Emailrobb.cherylsyncrude.comIndividualswishingtoprovidewrittencommentsontheproposedTermsofReferencemustsubmitthembyNovember12013toDirectorEnvironmentalAssessmentOperationsDivisionAlbertaEnvironmentandSustainableResourceDevelopment111TwinAtriaBldg.499998AvenueEdmontonABT6B2X3Fax780-427-9102Emailenvironmental.assessmentgov.ab.caSyncrudeCanadaLtd.BorealisBuilding9911MacDonaldAvenueFortMcMurrayABT9H3H5AlbertaEnvironmentandSustainableResourceDevelopmentsRegisterofEnvironmentalAssessmentAttnMelanieDaneluk111TwinAtriaBuilding499998AvenueEdmontonABT6B2X3Webenvironment.alberta.ca02313.htmlByRENEFRANCOEUREnvironmentCanadahaslaunchedaninvestigationofitsownintoongoingbitumenleaksatanoilsandssitearoundtheColdLakeareaofnortheast-ernAlbertanearlyfourmonthsaftertherstspillwasdetected.Federalofcialsremaintightlippedhoweverastowhytheyaretakingadeeperlookalong-sidetwoongoinginvestigationsbyAlbertasEnvironmentandSustainableResourceDevelop-mentESRDdepartmentandCanadianNaturalResourcesLtd.CNRLthecompanyrun-ningtheoperationontheColdLakeAirWeaponsRangetra-ditionalTreatyNo.6territorybelongingtoColdLakeFirstNationsCLFN.EnvironmentCanadasen-forcementbranchiscurrentlyassessingthesituationwithrespecttofederalenvironmen-talandwildlifelawswithinitsjurisdictionandhasopenedaninvestigation.NofurthercommentcanbeprovidedatthistimeMarkJohnsonaspokespersonforEnvironmentCanadatoldTheJournalinanemail.FourseparateleakshavebeendiscoveredonthePrimroseandWolfLakesites-thersttak-ingplaceinMay-andapproxi-mately9000barrelsofbitumenemulsionhavebeenrecoveredtodatethecompanystatedinitsmostrecentupdateonAug.25.CNRLisnowfocusedonareducedimpactareaof13.5hectaresa35percentreduc-tionsincetheoriginalreportearlierthissummer.Thecompanystatedtherateofbitumenemulsionseepageinallfourlocationsnowtotalslessthan20barrelsaday.AccordingtotheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorsAug.16updatetotalwildlifeimpactsbetweenallfoursitesincludetwobeavers31birds82am-phibiansand31smallmammalsdeceased.Threebeavers17birdsandtwosmallmammalsarebeingcaredforataWildlifeFedsgetinvolvedwithbitumenleaksnearColdLakeColdLakeFirstNationsreporttwoadditionalleaksRehabilitationCentrepriortobeingreturnedtotheirnaturalenvironment.Thecompanyhasbeenonthelookoutformigratingbirdsitsaidandispleasedtoob-servebirdsalteringtheircourseastheynearourbirddeterrentsystems.CNRLhasbuiltanalumi-numscaffoldstructureoverthessureatthewaterbodysitesobirdscannotlandandisconductingregularwild-lifemonitoringsweeps.Thecompanyalsohastrailcam-eraswithremoteandinfraredmotionsensorssetuptodetectanimalactivity.CNRLsaidthefedshavebeeninvolvedfromdayone.TheyhavebeeninvolvedsincetheincidentswereinitiallyreportedandweareworkingwithalllevelsofgovernmentandregulatorsincludingEn-vironmentCanadainunder-standingtheincidentthecauseandourplansgoingforwardsaidZoeAddingtonCNRLspublicaffairsadvisor.Thecompanybelievesthecauseofthebitumenseepageintolushborealforestandwet-landareasstemsfrommechan-icalfailuresofwellboresinthevicinityofthecontrolledareas.CNRLsaiditsintheprocessofidentifyingandinvestigat-ingthesewellbores.Wearedrillinghydrogeo-logicaldelineationwellsadja-centtotheaffectedlocationstoaidintheinvestigationthecompanystatedwhilework-ingdiligentlywiththeAl-bertaEnergyRegulatorAERandESRD.CNRLalsosaidithasdesig-nateddecontaminationareasandallusedpersonalprotectionequipmentabsorbentmaterialsvegetationandsoilisdisposedoffsiteatspeciallydesignedwastemanagementfacilities.FirstNationscancelmeetingwithcompanyCLFNhadscheduledameetingwithCNRLlastweektodiscussthecontin-uousbitumenseepageandgraspadeeperunderstand-ingofwhatsgoingonandwhatwentwrong.TheFirstNationcancelledthemeetinghoweverafteritsrequesttothecompanyforadditionalinformationwasignoredcouncillorandformerCLFNchiefWalterJanviertoldTheJournal.Therewasnoneedtositdownwiththemjustforthesakeofitbecauseeverytimetheysitdownwithustheyjustsaytheyveconsultedwithus.Sowerenotgoingtoacceptthosekindofdeal-ings.Weprefertohavetheproperinformationweveaskedforsowecanbaseourdecisionsonfactsandtheyrenotpreparedtopro-videuswiththosefactssowehavepostponedthemeet-ingJanviersaid.TwomoreleaksfoundCLFNCLFNhasbeentoldfromtheirownsourcesonthegroundthattherearenowsixspotswherebitumenisbeingreleasedtothesurfacecontrarytothefourlocationsCNRLhasde-tectedandmadeknowntothepublicJanviersaid.Sowerestilltryingtogetthemtoconrmthat...TheyhavebeeninsomewhatofadenialmodesowehaventheardanythingformalyetJanviersaid.Weremakingeveryattempttogettothebot-tomofthisandgetmoreinfor-mationtolookattheprocessandseeiftheycanaltertheprocesssoitdoesnotcauseenvironmentaldamagenowandinthefuture.PhotocourtesyofCanadianNaturalResourcesLtd.PhotocourtesyofColdLakeFirstNationsAccordingtoCanadianNaturalResourcesLtd.approximately9000barrelsofbitumenemulsionhavebeenrecoveredtodatefromtheimpactedareasaroundColdLakeAlta.Workisbeingdoneonexposedssureslikethisonetoinvestigatethesiteswherebitumenisseepingtothesurface.