article/montage

Mineral tailings ponds are an unavoidable waste product of the oil sands industry.1 They form a mixture of water, sand, clay, unrecovered bitumen and other contaminants.2 Unfortunately, tailings ponds are also highly toxic due to harmful chemicals, such as ammonia, mercury and naphthenic acids.3 Even worse, in Alberta, they have been leaking for decades – endangering animals and humans…