An alternative to treat and release? Alberta to approve $4.6 million grant for tailings ponds water treatment research

Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-17 18:10:50.0
Tags: [Alberta, Energy, Environment, Mining, Technology, Indigenous]

Emissions Reduction Alberta offered a conditional $4.6 million grant to Tũ Nipi Water Solutions—an Indigenous-owned venture formed by Fort McKay Oil Services and BioLargo Canada based in the Fort McKay First Nation—to fund research and development of water-treatment solutions for tailings ponds in the Athabasca oilsands region. The funding, expected to roll out in early 2027 for closed-lab testing, aims to develop alternatives to controversial treat-and-release wastewater proposals for handling the more than 1.4 billion cubic metres of fluid tailings currently stored in the province. The initiative aligns with recommendations from Alberta's Oil Sands Mine Water Steering Committee and incorporates traditional knowledge alongside advanced cleantech applications.