A new report suggests more birds are dying in Alberta’s tar sands than the government has let on.
Government industries have estimated that on average, about 65 birds die each year from tailings pond exposure, according to the study released Tuesday. The mean annual rate was determined by analyzing the mortality rate between 2000 and 2007.
However the study, which has been published in September’s edition of The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, suggests a number that is at least seven times higher than the industries estimate.
Researchers report that on average, between 458 and 5,029 birds die each year at the Bitumen Tailings Pond in northeastern Alberta.
In fact, researchers say that average is likely conservative because the data that was studied doesn’t include bird deaths that occurred before spring, between spring and fall migration and after fall migration.
Researchers say the wide range is due to spatial and temporal variations in bird mortality rates.
Tailings ponds are said to contain bitumen, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, naphthenic acids, brine, heavy metals, and ammonia.
The study concludes by saying the government needs to introduce a system that is “statistically valid” and is standardized.
“Systematic monitoring and accurate, timely reporting would provide data useful to all those concerned with bird conservation and management in the tar sands region,” the study says.
Dr. Kevin Timoney, a scientist with Treeline Ecological Research, said the industries’ estimates are hampering efforts to protect wildlife in the tar sands.
“The ad hoc
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