Taming the tailings
Dead ducks notwithstanding, extensive research is underway to deal with oilsands tailings in a more efficient manner
It only stands to reason that like everything else about oilsands surface mining, the leftovers are big. Very big.
The mine pits are big, and once the 8 to 12 per cent of the contents that's bitumen is extracted, what's left is an even bigger quantity of salty formation water in tailings basins loaded with sand, silts, and clay and topped up with repeatedly recycled Athabasca River water. The whole mess is laced with residual bitumen, production chemicals, and minerals.
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