Imperial Oil is being penalized by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), after the agency released its first findings from the ongoing investigation into the Kearl Mine site.
In a press release, the AER said Imperial Oil will be fined $50,000 after it was discovered that a shallow underground pathway from wastewater sources at the Kearl site bypassed the deep groundwater seepage interception system.
This caused industrial wastewater to be released off-lease.
The AER said, to date, there have been no impacts to fish, amphibians or other wildlife reported.
In addition to an administrative penalty, the AER is imposing two key projects on Imperial Oil, aimed at improving transparency and sharing “industry education.”
The Kearl Mine site is located around 137 kilometres northeast of Fort McMurray.