"Scientists Trace Cancer-Linked Pollutant To Oil Sands Stockpiles"

"Dust blown away from stockpiles left over after oil sands upgrading is very likely a key source of a cancer-linked pollutant commonly found in the northern Alberta region, concludes a new peer-reviewed study.

The study, published in January in the Environmental Science and Technology journal, is one of the first to pinpoint the source of significant amounts of cancer-linked polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the oil sands region.

The research team, led by scientists from the University of Alberta, concluded that several companies using a process known as “delayed coking” in the oil sands were leaving the stockpiles of petroleum coke, which in turn was spreading PAHs in the region. The revelations could help industry and its regulators address a major health risk, without impacting production, said one of the study’s authors."

Mike De Souza reports for the National Observer February 4, 2016.