The massive, energy-intensive oil sands projects in Alberta, Canada, are leaking some 2.9 million gallons of contaminated water each day into the region’s aquifers, according to a new report by Environmental Defense and Pembina Consulting based on the industry’s own estimates. “Virtually everyone close to the tar sands industry knows that all tar sands tailings ponds leak, even the new ones, and that while steps are taken to recapture the leakage, a significant portion of contaminated water still escapes into the environment,” the report says.
