Syncrude fined $2.75M in deaths of 31 great blue herons

Syncrudewill pay a fine of $2.75 million after pleading guilty to federal and provincial charges in relation to the deaths of 31 great blue herons.

The herons died in August 2015 at aninactive sump on the Mildred Lake site, which at the time wasnot covered by Syncrude's waterfowl protection plan to deter birds from landing attailings areas.

The sumpcollected wastewater containing residual bitumen from a storage site at the mine.

• 30 blue herons found dead at Syncrude Mildred Lake site
• Syncrude blue heron deaths: A look at 'the royalty of our wetlands'

Syncrude was chargedunder the Migratory Birds Convention Act withdepositing,or allowing the deposit of, a substance harmful to migratory birds into waters frequented by them.

It was also charged under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act with failing to store a hazardous substance toensureit does not come into contact with or contaminate animals.

The province willdirect$950,000 of the fine to creative sentencingprojects that supportbiodiversity, habitat,and migratory pathways for birds and other wildlife in Alberta.

In a statement Monday,Syncrudecalled the incident regrettable.

"We immediately took steps to bring all these areas on our Mildred Lake and Aurora sites into our waterfowl protection plan," said managing director Doreen Cole.

"We're committed to being a responsible operator and this has strengthened our resolve to reduce the impact of our operations on wildlife."

Syncrude, based in Fort McMurray, was fined $3 million after more than 1,600 ducks died after landing on a tailings pond in 2008.