Alberta government plays down oil sands leak
EDMONTON — The Alberta government is playing down a leak of nearly one million litres of tainted water into the Athabasca River from a wastewater pond at a Suncor oil sands site near Fort McMurray.
The Liberal opposition says the leak last year was the same volume as an Olympic swimming pool and involved water contaminated with oil and grease that left a sheen on the river.
Liberal environment critic David Swann said downstream communities were not notified for up to eight months after the September leak.
