Aug 8 (Reuters) - Alberta's energy regulator said on
Saturday it is investigating reports that about 30 blue herons
have died at a Syncrude Canada oil sands mine site in the
northern part of the Canadian province.
The Alberta Energy Regulator said it sent investigators to
the Syncrude Canada Mildred Lake site, which is about 40 km (25
miles) north of Fort McMurray.
In 2010, Syncrude was fined C$3 million ($2.29 million) for
negligence in the 2008 deaths of 1,600 ducks in a toxic waste
pond, a case that fueled international concern about the
environmental impact of developing Canada's oil sands.
Syncrude's partners include Canadian Oil Sands Ltd COS.TO ,
Imperial Oil Ltd IMO.TO , Suncor Energy Inc SU.TO , Sinopec
0386.HK , CNOOC Ltd's 0883.HK Nexen, Japan's Mocal Energy and
Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR) Co MUR.N .
Officials with Syncrude did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
In November, the Alberta regulator cleared several oil sands
operators of responsibility for the death of 196 waterfowl that
landed on their toxic tailings ponds, saying poor weather
conditions forced the birds down. ID:nL2N0TA2IL
($1 = 1.3128 Canadian dollars)