We often hear of the tragedy involving speeding vehicles crashing into each other. There can be extensive damage and loss of life leaving loved ones to grieve and wonder if anything could have been done to prevent this. Such a crash, involving oil sands giants and environmentalist groups, seems imminent. The oil sands continue to operate resulting in immense profits. The conservationists argue these operations are unsafe.
Oil sands are located around the world in the United States, Russia, the Middle East, Venezuela and Canada. They source bitumen, a form of petroleum, well-recognized as an adhesive and an electrical and thermal resister. Bitumen is frequently used when asphalting roads; however, other applications include roofing tiles, insulation and paints. Obviously, with the more bitumen extracted from the ground, these oil giants profit.
It is not the bitumen’s use that has the environmentalists up in arms; these concerned onlookers have arguments about the extraction process. Like the prospectors of old, oil workers use water to separate the bitumen from the sand, silt and clay which contains it. Residue materials – best described as “sludge” - are disposed of into “tailing ponds”. These are manmade lakes in which the leftovers float to eventually separate; this water is highly toxic.
One huge problem with these tailing ponds is that their walls have been found to leak, allowing for contaminated water to seep back into the ground. Should your own bathtub’s porcelain crack, water would leak onto the floor. Without mopping up immediately, this can lead to extensive floor damage and/or rotting.
Furthermore, tailing ponds pose a risk to wildlife that may, unknowingly, come to take a drink. Residents of Alberta, Canada will well remember the commotion caused in April, 2008 when a flock of over 1600 birds flying above the Syncrude Oil Sands Plant, dove down to rest. All of these birds bathed in toxic water and eventually died – a significant loss.
While we wait for the impending crash between the oil giants and the enviromental advocates to happen, consider this … when it comes to asphalting our roads or saving our planet, which is more important?
