Oil sands
About Oil sands
Environmental Damage
As the industry continues to increase development on the oil sands, it has given a negative impact on the environment which have disturbed many ecosystem. They have harmed the wildlife in many different ways. An example of one is that when the operation for oil sand extraction has cleared out land for well sites or mining, it destroys all the trees and wild plants as they clear it. Another example of an environment impact is that the tailing pond contains bitumen which concerns us that when all different types of birds like ducks reaches the tailing pond, it will get contaminated with the toxic chemical in its body when it soon drinks the dirty water from it. There has been a decline in the fishing industry because no one dares to fish in the water that have been contaminated by the leaks of the tailing pond. If this continues, fish will die off and future generations won't be able to eat fish. The development have also cause pollutes that has been way worst than tradition oil production. If it continues to increase, the oil sand will produce more gases and emission the greenhouse effect, causing heat waves and floods.
Alberta Canada's Oil Sands: Pollution and Cancer Rates
Health Concerns
There are also a lot of concerns involving health for food and water. Studies has shown that there are traces of rare forms of cancers discovered when consuming the water or eating animals that have high mercury levels in them from the Athabasca river. The cause for it is most likely the tailing pond. As it leaks into the air and water, the toxic chemical goes through the soil than to their farmland, spreading the toxic chemical and contaminating the crops. Its even possible for the dirty water to leak out to the Arctic Ocean.