Greenpeace calls for charges over releases from Imperial’s Kearl oilsands mine

OTTAWA — An environmental group is calling for Imperial Oil to be charged over releases of toxic wastewater from its Kearl oilsands mine in northern Alberta. 

The call from Greenpeace comes as executives from the company are scheduled to testify before a House of Commons committee probing what happened with notifications around the releases.

Overnight, Greenpeace projected a sign on the facade of the Supreme Court saying “Charge Imperial Now.”

The demand was sparked by a nine-month delay for First Nations and governments to find out what was happening after groundwater contaminated with oilsands tailings was discovered seeping from a tailings pond.

Provincial and federal environment ministers say they only found out about it after a second release of wastewater was made public.

Chiefs from area First Nations testified before the Environment and Sustainability Committee earlier this week, saying they no longer trust Alberta’s regulator and that it should be disbanded. 

Environment Canada is investigating the Kearl releases to see if charges should be laid under the Fisheries Act. 

The Canadian Press