Bulletin – Directive – Oil Sands
The AER announced the suspension of Directive 074: Tailings Performance Criteria and Requirements for Oil Sands Mining Schemes (“Directive 074”) effective immediately, including all associated approval conditions and reporting requirements. Directive 074 will be replaced by the Tailings Management Framework for Mineable Athabasca Oil Sands (“TMF”), also effective immediately. The TMF is a new policy for regulating fluid tailings volumes and decreasing risks associated with the accumulation of fluid tailings in the landscape.
The AER notes that it expects operators to not make any material changes to their current tailings management programs that may be inconsistent with the TMF.
The suspension of Directive 074 does not affect requirements under the Public Lands Act, the Oil Sands Conservation Act, the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, the Water Act, and the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan. In addition, the suspension of Directive 074 does not affect any federal requirements, approvals or conditions.
