For the Record

This Magazine makes these errors...

In a story published Aug. 5, This Magazine makes the statement that oil sands developments "inject toxins into the Athabasca River through tailing-pond leakage (the same chemicals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAH, that are associated with the rare cancers found in First Nations communities)."

For the record:

In fact, PAHs are not linked to any cancers diagnosed in Fort Chipewyan, downstream of oil sands development. PAH levels found in samples on other rivers in the area with absolutely no industrial oil sands activity have been found to be the same as or higher than samples taken downstream from oil sands developments

Regarding tailings ponds leakage into the Athabasca River: The river has been monitored since the 1970s and reflects no increased contamination. Tailings ponds are constructed with groundwater monitoring and seepage capture facilities, and seepage is pumped back into the pond. If there is uncaptured leakage, it would be below the ponds and, given the characteristics of the soils, even at the very highest rate possible it would take 50 years for tailings liquid to move just two metres through the earth.

For more information visit: http://environment.gov.ab.ca/info/faqs/faq5-oil_sands.asp