In 2009 Alberta Environment worked with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and the oil sands mine operators to review the way that disturbance and reclamation information was historically reported to the Government through annual reports.  It was understood that there were challenges and inconsistencies in how disturbance and reclamation were defined by the operators, and clear direction from the Government was required.

Alberta’s State of the Environment previously reported on the categories: active, reclaimed, and certified, with little clarity on what the active and reclaimed categories represented. The categories now used represent a clear, concise, and consistent way for information to be provided to Alberta Environment for tracking and public reporting. (For definitions of these categories, please see the Glossary.)

The new definitions provide a better system for tracking the level of disturbance associated with oil sands mining, and the reclamation progress that the companies are making.  Progressive reclamation activities are better represented, and a clear definition of each ensures better accuracy in reporting.

Due to the significant shift in definitions used for reporting, the new data cannot be compared to previously reported data.  The new data is meant to provide a true State of the Environment for the mineable oil sands region as of September 30 of each year, and it will be updated on an annual basis using data provided by the operators in the Annual Reclamation Progress Tracking reports submitted to Alberta Environment.