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Restoring ecological function to disturbed landscapes in Alberta – multiple challenges addressed by
reclamation and remediation science
Brett Purdy, Senior Director
Alberta Innovates Energy & Environment Solutions (AI-EES)
Biological Solutions Forum - Building the Business Case
October 1-2, 2014
Outline
• Alberta Innovates – Energy & Environment Solutions (AI-EES)
• Objectives of reclamation
• Scope and scale of the challenge
• Recommend an approach
• Knowledge gaps
• Remaining challenges
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AI – EES Portfolio
Energy
Technologies
Water & Environmental
Management
Renewable &
Emerging
Technologies
AI-EES
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Environmental management programs in energy development
Reclamation & restoration
Water management
GHG management
Oil sands tailings
… so that soils and landforms are capable of supporting a self-sustaining ecosystem ...
... use native species
... establish ecological function similar to that which existed before ...
Objectives for reclamation (equivalent capability)
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Remediation Outcomes …
Remove the parts that expose risk to the local environment?
Contain the remaining risk that remains on site?
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Restoration / Reclamation Outcomes …
Make sure they are working?
Put the pieces back?
Ensure the land provides the desired values?
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Scale of disturbed footprint in Alberta?
• Oil sands mines/in situ > 9000 km2
• Coal mines > 90 km2
• Power Lines > 16,000 km
• Pipelines > 430,000 km
• Wellsites > 400,000
• Sand & gravel > 500 km2
• Cutlines & trails >930,000 km2
+ New Licenses + Active Licenses + Abandoned Leases + Reclaimed Leases - Certified + Reclaimed Lease - Exempted + Discontinued Pipelines + Abandoned Pipelines + Active Pipelines + Pipelines to be Constructed + Powerlines + Coal + Enhanced Oil Recovery + In Situ + Oil Sands Mines
Alberta: Land Use Framework Regions
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• Contaminants
• Poorly designed landforms
• Degraded soils – not enough, compaction, nutrients, water holding capacity, soil organisms
• Vegetation – wrong species, arrested succession
• Land use – not meeting expectations
Environmental issues with the disturbed and reclaimed footprint?
Abandoned mine site
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Integrated Land Management Conserve ecological legacies
• Soil, sediments, propagules & dead wood
• Best use of forest residue?
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Photo: Cenovus
Design landforms to sustain natural geomorphic processes
Natural appearance, hydrologic regime
Credit - Suncor
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Best Management Practices for soils
• Salvage, storage, placement
• Nutrient pools / cycling
• Soil organisms
• Dead wood
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Soil & hydrology BMPs
Syncrude Canada Ltd
Integrate wetlands with uplands Soil handling methods
Ecological structure
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Knowledge gaps to assist operations and policy
Aquatic reclamation
Soil capping over
novel materials
Soil water and nutrients
Reclaiming novel materials Wetland reclamation
Suncor Energy Inc.
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• Remediation
• Landform design
• Soil placement
• Revegetation
• Monitoring
Suncor Pond 1 - 2005
Suncor Pond 1 - 2009
Suncor Pond 1 - 2011
Fluid tailings reduction, reclamation and closure
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End pit lakes
Photo by Louis Helbig
Release
Oil Sands Process-
Affected Water
Active or passive
treatment systems
Assess
Biological
Effects
Reduced
Biological
Effects
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Treatment wetlands
Treatment wetlands are more than just wetlands
for treatment
Treatment wetlands mentioned > 180 times in
OS mine C&R plans
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• Peatland design criteria
• Operational approaches & assessment
Credit - novaNAIT Credit – Syncrude Canada Ltd.
Wetland restoration / reclamation
Peatland reclamation
Shell Peace River
Fen reclamation
Syncrude Canada
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Wetland restoration / peatlands
Restore peat forming species - Sphagnum
Alberta requires treed peatlands
What can we learn from nature -
Bitumount Provincial
Historic Site
Facility operated from the ‘20s to ‘50s Upland forest vegetation with
shallow soils over bitumen
Wetland on exposed bitumen Wetland and terrestrial vegetation rooted into bitumen
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• US EPA / National Renewable Energy Lab
Solar, wind, biopower, geothermal opportunities on contaminated sites
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Final comments …
• Objectives for reclamation have changed so we can’t always just build on past experience
• Policy and operational practices that are founded on knowledge of natural systems and processes are more likely to succeed
• Legacy activities and ongoing disturbance provide opportunities for biological solutions to better meet remediation and reclamation objectives