Resource Type
Commercial production of synthetic crude oil from the Athabasca Oil Sands began in 1967 in north-eastern Alberta. Suncor Inc., then known as Great Canadian Oil Sands Ltd., began the development of their lease with a commitment to the reclamation of resultant disturbances. Waste products of the mining and extraction process are the tailings and overburden spoil. This paper describes the revegetation aspects of these substrates and the
development of the operational and complementing research program. At present 200 hectares are in some stage of reclamation. These are being scrutinized in terms of soil development and the ability of reclaimed soils to self-support prescribed vegetation.