Notice of Application
OSCA Application No. 1941692
Water Act Application Nos. 14-00251073, 14-00048398
Syncrude Canada Ltd.
Aurora North Mine
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has received Oil Sands Conservation Act (OSCA) Application No. 1941692 and Water Act (WA) Applications 014-00251073 and 014-00048398 from Syncrude Canada Ltd. (Syncrude), for approval of the Fort Hills Aurora Pillar (FHAP) dam. The AER is reviewing the applications together with the supporting documents.
This notice also sets out the deadline for filing statements of concern on these applications. See the section below on how to file a statement of concern for filing dates.
Description of the Applications
Syncrude has applied under the Oil Sands Conservation Act (OSCA) and the Water Act for approval of the geotechnical design and the construction of an in-situ tailings containment dam, known as the Fort Hills Aurora Pillar (FHAP), and to amend the Water Act fenceline for the Aurora North Mine to include the approximately 2.5 kilometres (km) long FHAP dam. The FHAP design report was submitted pursuant to Condition 4(g) of OSCA Scheme Approval No. 10781P, to Water Act Approval 00251073-01-00 (as amended) and Licence 00048398-02-00 (as amended), and to Part 6 (Dam and Canal Safety) of the Water (Ministerial) Regulation.
The FHAP dam will be constructed at the boundary between Syncrude’s Oil Sands Lease 10 and Lease 932 of Fort Hills Energy L.P. (FHELP) in Sections 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of Township 96, Range 10 and West of the 4th meridian and will provide separation between the Aurora Center Pit North (ACPN) and the Fort Hills South Pit (FHSP) tailings storage areas. The construction of the FHAP dam is scheduled to commence in 2023 and will be completed in 2027.
For a copy of the applications, contact
Syncrude Canada Ltd.
P.O. Bag 4009, Mail Drop H3200
Fort McMurray, Alberta T9H 3L1
Attention: Sylvia Skinner
Telephone: 825-409-7285
Email: syskinner@suncor.com
To receive a copy of the applications and supporting documents, submit an information request, as outlined at www1.aer.ca/ProductCatalogue/ordering.html, to
AER Information Distribution Services
Suite 1000, 250 – 5 Street SW
Calgary, AB T2P 0R4
Telephone: 1-855-297-8311 (toll free; option 0)
Email: InformationRequest@aer.ca
Requirement to File a Statement of Concern
If you have concerns with these applications, you must file a statement of concern as described below. If you do not file a statement of concern, the AER may approve the applications without further notification.
How to File a Statement of Concern
For your submission to be considered a valid statement of concern, it must be filed by 11:59 p.m. on February 13, 2023. Send one copy of your statement of concern to Syncrude Canada Ltd. at the name and address above and one copy either online via the AER’s web-based form or by mail or email:
Mail or email:
Regulatory Applications Branch
Alberta Energy Regulator
Suite 1000, 250 – 5 Street SW
Calgary, AB T2P 0R4
Fax: 403-297-7336
Email: SOC@aer.ca
Contents of a Statement of Concern
For your submission to be considered a valid statement of concern, it must include
- why you believe that you may be directly and adversely affected by a decision of the AER on the applications;
- the nature of your objection to the applications;
- the outcome of the applications that you advocate;
- the location of your land, residence, or activity in relation to the location of the energy resource activity that is the subject of the applications; and
- your contact information, including your name, address in Alberta, telephone number, and email address or, if you do not have an email address, your fax number.
The AER also requests that you include the application numbers in your statement of concern.
Confidentiality
Section 49 of the Alberta Energy Regulator Rules of Practice (Rules of Practice) requires that all documents and information filed in a proceeding be placed on the public record. This includes any filed statements of concern. If you file a submission, you must not include any personal information that you do not want to appear on or are not authorized to put on the public record. Section 49(2) of the Rules of Practice states how to apply to the AER for an order to keep information confidential. The Rules of Practice is available on the AER website at www.aer.ca.
Jurisdiction
Submissions relating exclusively to compensation for land use are not dealt with by the AER and should be referred to the Alberta Surface Rights Board.
Under section 21 of the Responsible Energy Development Act, the AER does not have the jurisdiction to assess the adequacy of Crown consultation associated with the rights of aboriginal peoples as recognized and affirmed under the Constitution Act, 1982.
For information on AER's application review process, contact the regulatory applications specialist, Corey MacGarva by phone at 780-642-9342 or by email to corey.macgarva@aer.ca.
Issued at Calgary, Alberta, on January 12, 2023.
ALBERTA ENERGY REGULATOR
