The Athabasca is a river of international significance. Home to more than 30 species of fish, it provides water to one of the world's largest freshwater deltas, the Peace-Athabasca Delta, a vital wetland habitat and home to one of the most important waterfowl nesting and staging areas in North America.

But since 2000, industrial water withdrawals from the Athabasca River have doubled, and the flow of water in the river is at times dangerously low. Low flow causes river oxygen levels to plummet and reduces available habitat, putting fish and aquatic species at risk.

This, in addition to climate change and reduced glacial flow, will mean the Athabasca is going to see major drops in flow rates over the coming years, especially in winter months. For this reason, scientists, environmental experts, Indigenous communities and oil companies agreed that the Athabasca River needs an absolute cut off on industrial water withdrawals to protect critical river habitat.

But right now Suncor is lobbying, and the Alberta government is considering exempting Suncor from these regulations.

Suncor claims it takes water consumption seriously and says it has drastically lowered its overall water withdrawals. In reality, its water consumption continues to climb. In 2012, its water use increased by 20 percent over to the previous year according to records contained in the Oil Sands Information Portal. By 2017, consumption is expected to further increase by 47 percent based on aggressive expansion plans.

Tailings

The toxic byproducts of oil sands extraction, including sand, silt, unrecovered hydrocarbons and dissolved chemicals, are dumped into man-made lakes called tailings lakes where they remain indefinitely. They account for a huge percentage of a mine’s ecological footprint -- roughly 30-50%. For years, industry has maintained that toxic chemicals do not leach from tailing lakes, but a recent federal study found that 11 million litres a day is leaking into groundwater and the Athabasca River. And tests determined that Suncor’s tailings lakes contained residual bitumen and diluent which are toxic to the natural environment.

In 2009, ambitious new rules were unveiled by Alberta’s energy regulator to help manage growing volumes of toxic tailings waste from oil sands mining. Directive 74 was intended to demonstrate a commitment to environmental performance by requiring companies to capture and dry 50% of fine tailings particles. By 2013, however, Suncor had captured just 8.5%. In 2010, Suncor claimed it had successfully reclaimed a tailings pond. Instead, it had merely moved liquid tailings elsewhere.

Alberta currently has a zero discharge policy for all untreated industrial waste water in the oil sands. Under law, process affected water must be contained in ponds and dykes on site, or recycled back into mining processes. But if companies like Suncor get their way, they could be able to release process affected water -- the byproduct from oil sands development -- directly into the Lower Athabasca river.

This is not fair and not responsible. If Suncor truly is committed to being a leader in water sustainability, it must protect wild rivers and support absolute limits on water withdrawal and a ban on waste water dumping.

Suncor likes to think of itself as different, better than the other oil sands companies, more responsible, more sustainable and more environmentally friendly. But the truth is its practices are among the worst - on toxic leaks and environmental infractions, on water use, on climate impacts, and on lobbying to weaken already weak environmental regulations.

Suncor has been fined for failing to install pollution control equipment, for environmental violations at a wastewater facility, for failing to comply with the Water Act, and for providing false and misleading information to Alberta environment. A report from Global News found over 500 Suncor violations ranging from corrosion to valve and pipe failures.

A 2011 incident at a Suncor facility leaked tailings water so polluted that it failed 39 consecutive toxicity tests. Last year, waste from a Suncor operation poured into the Athabasca River for ten hours, dumping 350,000 litres of industrial waste water right into the river.

Suncor’s plans are also putting Woodland Caribou populations at risk, since oil sands development is clearing the old growth forest that they need to survive. The majority of Alberta's caribou herds now have low calf survival rates. Pressure from companies like Suncor is delaying government action on the issue, and using a wolf-cull as a scapegoat. According to lobbying records, Suncor is lobbying the Alberta government on environmental monitoring, species at risk, wetlands policy, tailings emissions, and even climate change.

If Suncor truly is committed to raising the bar in environmental performance, it needs to support new regulations that protect communities and wild rivers by including absolute limits to water withdrawals and not allowing waste water to be dumped in the Athabasca river.   

Downstream Aboriginal communities are being forever changed by oil sands development in Alberta. 

A full 80% of the traditional territories of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and Mikisew Cree First Nation are now inaccessible for part of the year because of oil sands projects. In a recent oil spill, Suncor failed to let the Fort McKay First Nation even know there was a spill happening in their territory while toxic water leaked into the Athabasca River for days. The nation has spent years trying to get information about exactly which chemicals were released.

Aboriginal people living downstream from the oil sands are experiencing a high incidence of rare and life-threatening cancers. People in the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation say their drinking water has been contaminated by Suncor’s operations. And Suncor has repeatedly been fined for environmental damages.

Despite the impacts of new draft water laws, First Nations have not been briefed on them. Suncor is also lobbying the Alberta government around its Aboriginal consultation framework -- a primary way that Aboriginal peoples are consulted about projects that affect their communities, culture and way of life.

If Suncor truly is committed to responsible development in downstream communities, it must support new regulations that protect communities by supporting absolute limits on water withdrawal and a ban on waste water dumping.

Suncor says it is committed to innovation in its water management practices. But in reality, they refuse to upgrade their facilities to store water, a common industry practice to ensure good water management.

Science shows that allowing the Athabasca river to run dry would have devastating environmental impacts including destroying fish habitats in the river, reducing the availability of water for wildlife, affecting traditional transportation methods in the area, and altering groundwater flows.

Suncor maintains that constructing water storage systems would have a “net negative impact on the environment” because of land disturbance. But environmental consulting firms have proven otherwise. There are innovative and realistic options to improve Suncor’s water management and save vulnerable ecosystems in Lake Athabasca at the same time. In fact, just 1.5km2 is enough to store water and protect the Athabasca.

It is much riskier to continue withdrawing water than it is to construct water storage facilities. If Suncor truly is committed to being a leader in innovation, it must store water for long-term environmental benefit. 

Last year, Suncor made $4 billion in profits but when it faced a $1.2 billion dollar tax bill, it fought the bill instead of paying it. And instead of being a good corporate citizen, it is lobbying the federal government on tax laws.

Last year, Suncor CEO Steve Williams earned $12,839,320, and in recent years, year-end bonuses have significantly increased. In 2010, year-end bonuses nearly tripled CEO pay, and some officers made more in bonuses than in salary.

According to data from Bloomberg, the majority of oil sands production is not owned by Canadians, meaning most of the profits go to foreign companies, and not to Canadians. Suncor is 56.8% foreign-owned.