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Oilsands showdown looms

Alberta's oilsands could be heading for a showdown over toxic tailings ponds following an independent assessment that found cleanup plans of six major producers don't meet new rules.

The province's energy regulator recently rejected Suncor's plans, saying they relied on unproven technology and didn't provide enough certainty on when the ponds would be cleaned up.

A clean-energy think tank says plans submitted for seven other projects also fail to meet the regulator's goals.

The Pembina Institute says that overall tailings volumes won't start dropping until 2037 — 17 years beyond the government's original projections.

The think tank points out most of the plans rely on capping the tailings ponds with fresh water — the same technology the regulator rejected from Suncor.

It also says most of the plans don't meet requirements for the ponds to be cleaned up within 10 years after a mine closes.



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