No Dumping of Toxic Tailings into the World-Renowned Athabasca River

This is where you can find all our work related to the Imperial Oil tailings spill and ongoing leaks. Following the lead of the Indigenous communities directly impacted, we are working with our friends and allies to create tools you can use in response to this toxic tailings disaster.

Send a letter to the Minister for Environment Climate Change Canada and the Deputy Minister for Environmental Protection that says NO to the release of “treated” tar sands tailings effluent into the Athabasca River

A joint statement of concerns and recommendations was worked on and approved by the summit providing instructions and guidance on how to move forward. This summit was the first time the Dene Nation, Inuvialuit and Northwest Territory Metis Nation have met on a priority and urgent issue to agree on how to proceed together.

Read the signed resolution!

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Recent news on the proposed toxic tailings dump into the Athabasca River.

Treaties form a legal relationship between Indigenous Nations and settler states such as Canada. Downstream from the existing tar sands processing plants live Cree, Dene, and Métis settlement communities, who are most directly impacted by leaking toxic tailing ponds and lakes.

The tar sands region in northern Alberta contains a form of fossil fuel that is not what most people would call “oil”. The tar sands contain a tar-like substance called bitumen mixed with dirt, sand and rock.

Produced by: Environmental Defence Canada and Oil Change International

Researched and Written by: Dale Marshall, David Tong and Kelly Trout