AER Releases Draft Requirements For Oil Sands Tailings Management

On September 17, 2015, the Alberta Energy Regulator (the "AER") released its draft Directive Fluid Tailings Management for Oil Sands Mining Projects (the "Draft Directive").  The Draft Directive establishes new requirements that operators must meet to manage tailings during and after mine operations, including application filing requirements, the review and approval processes and performance reporting for fluid tailings volume profiles. Once finalized, the Directive will also inform the AER's surveillance and compliance management responses.

Background

The Draft Directive is part of the AER's phased approach to implement the Lower Athabasca Region: Tailings Management Framework for Mineable Athabasca Oil Sands (the "Framework") issued by the Government of Alberta in March 2015.  The Framework sets out the government's policy to manage fluid tailings volumes in order to manage and decrease liability and environmental risk resulting from the accumulation of fluid