Syncrude found guilty in 1,606 duck deaths
By Josh Wingrove
Edmonton — From Saturday’s Globe and Mail Published on Friday, Jun. 25, 2010 3:57PM EDT Last updated on Friday, Jun. 25, 2010 9:32PM EDT In a landmark ruling, a judge has found oil sands giant Syncrude Canada Ltd. guilty of a pair of environmental charges stemming from the deaths of 1,606 birds two years ago. Provincial Court Judge Ken Tjosvold ruled Friday that Syncrude was indeed responsible for its tailings pond where the ducks were found, and it “did not deploy the [bird] deterrents early enough and quickly enough” around the 12-square-kilometre pond, which contained toxic, oily bitumen byproduct. “I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that Syncrude could have acted lawfully by using due diligence to deter birds from the [pond], whether or not it was successful in its attempts at deterrence, and it did not do so,” Judge Tjosvold said. The ruling is a major victory for environmentalists who oppose oil sands development – the engine of the Alberta economy – because of its heavy environmental toll. The prosecution itself was sparked after a private complaint by a member of the Sierra Club. The case, however, is far from over. Syncrude was found guilty of two charges: a provincial charge of failing to prevent a toxic substance from harming wildlife, and a federal one of depositing a substance harmful to migratory birds. But the guilty findings haven’t been formally entered. …
