Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation

• Then came news of a separate incident where an unknown amount of industrial wastewater has been leaking from an Imperial Oil tailings pond for the last 12 months.
• The leakage flows underground and then resurfaces to contaminate surface waters outside the Kearl Oil Sands Processing Plant and Mine.
• In addition to its significance to the Indigenous communities here, this waterway also provides crucial habitats for endangered wildlife species.

Fish struggle to survive in contaminated waters

• Research and real-world incidents have found that oilsands wastewater is toxic to wildlife including mammals, fish, frogs and birds.
• A group of organic compounds, referred to as naphthenic acids, are responsible for most of the toxicity of wastewater.
• The science clearly suggests that fish are negatively impacted by wastewater contaminants and even short-term contact can have lasting effects on animals in the affected area.

Canada’s declining amphibians face new threats

• Amphibians are one of the most rapidly disappearing groups of animals in Canada, as their wetland habitats often face the threat of pollution, among other stressors.
• Like with fish, studies have found that exposure to wastewater and naphthenic acids can interfere with sexual development and impair breeding in adult frogs.
• Tadpoles exposed to these chemicals are more likely to die, behave abnormally when escaping predators and are less likely to develop into frogs.

A need for transparent oilsands waste management

• In addition to wildlife, industrial activities in the oilsands region have affected the Indigenous communities over the years as well.
• Diane Orihel received funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for her lab's research on the effects of oilsands contaminants on aquatic biota.
• Chloe Robinson received funding from Queen's University (Craigie Fellowship), and the Government of Ontario (Ontario Graduate Scholarship).

• "ACFN raised concerns about the tailings dams during the environmental assessment in 2007, but the AER approved them anyway.
• When Imperial advised the AER that toxic tailings were leaking in May 2022, the AER failed to act for months.
• Both Imperial and the AER failed to give notice or take action to keep the public and Indigenous communities safe."
• Although Imperial claims that crews are working to contain the spill, ACFN saw no evidence of activity at the leak locations.

• This historic transaction is approximately $1.12 billion and expected to close within the next month, making this the largest Indigenous energy partnership in North America to date.
• Todays announcement is historic for all parties involved, as todays newly announced partnership marks the largest energy-related Indigenous economic partnership transaction in North America, said Chana Martineau, CEO of AIOC.
• On behalf of the Indigenous partners, we are proud to become equity owners in these high-quality assets which contribute to North American energy supply and security, said Justin Bourque, President of Athabasca Indigenous Investments.
• We believe this partnership exemplifies how Enbridge and Indigenous communities can work together, not only in stewarding the environment, but also in owning and operating critical energy infrastructure.

• Last September, Willow Lake Mtis Nation, Suncor, and seven other Indigenous communities in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo announced a historic partnership.
• As a result of revenue generated from that partnership, the Willow Lake Mtis Nation was able to acquire this land.
• Willow Lake Mtis Nation (WLMN) is a Mtis community whose citizens now mostly reside in the community of Anzac, Alberta.
• The Astisiy Limited Partnership is comprised of Suncor, WLMN, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Conklin Mtis Local 193, Fort Chipewyan Mtis Local #125, Fort McKay Mtis Nation, McMurray Mtis, and the Fort McMurray #468 First Nation.