Alberta Court Finds Syncrude Guilty in Duck Deaths

On June 25, 2010, Syncrude Canada Ltd. was found guilty of two charges stemming from the April 2008 death of approximately 1,600 ducks in its Aurora Settling Basin, a tailings pond serving part of the company's Fort McMurray–area oil sands operations. The Alberta Court is waiting for the parties next appearance, in August, to hear other submissions relating to whether convictions should be entered on one or both of the charges. If both convictions are entered, the maximum potential fine would be $800,000.

Environmental groups are applauding the guilty verdict as a victory. Ecojustice for example, which launched the private prosecution prompting the Crown to charge Syncrude over the incident, has indicated that the Court's decision "confirms the need to eliminate toxic tailings ponds and the risks they pose." Yet the Alberta Court took a more nuanced view of the issue, establishing a precedent that indicates tailings pond operators may avoid certain regulatory