A black bear has been euthanized after crews inadvertently damaged a bear den at Imperial Oil’s Kearl site in northern Alberta.
An Imperial spokesperson confirmed the incident to Global News.
They said a team was working to construct a drill pad in a previously-cleared area when a piece of equipment hit the concealed bear den and a black bear was injured.
The company said it immediately notified regulatory agencies, including Alberta Fish and Wildlife, who visited the site and decided to euthanize the bear. The Alberta Energy Regulator and local Indigenous communities were also informed, Imperial said.
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In an email, Imperial’s Lisa Schmidt said the company contracts a “third-party, Indigenous-owned company” to conduct wildlife sweeps to identify dens, nests or other wildlife features, work that includes professional biologists. Imperial said it follows an “authorized wildlife sweep protocol,” and it was done ahead of this incident.
At the time, the sweep found no dens or areas considered suitable for dens.
“We are very sorry this incident occurred,” Schmidt wrote. “We continually work to ensure our business operates in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.”
Construction of new drilling sites has been halted while the company does additional wildlife sweeps.
Imperial also said it is investigating the incident and is “committed to learning from” it to prevent future incidents.
The Kearl oil sands project is located about 70 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, Alta.
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