The first provincial employee to arrive on the site of a Syncrude tailings pond where 1,600 ducks died told took the stand during the second day of the oil giant’s trial over the death of the ducks. Todd Powell told the court that at least a dozen ducks were shot the day after they were discovered because it seemed unlikely that they could be saved.
A video taken by a provincial wildlife biologist was also shown in court on Tuesday. The video shows a duck stuck in bitumen flapping it’s wings, unable to fly. A mallard is shown with bitumen dripping from it’s beak.
The video also shows ravens attacking the ducks, who are unable to move from the tailings pond.
Powell told the court that the ducks would normally have flown if approached by humans, but that they were too coated to escape.
It was April of 2008 when the migrating ducks landed on the tailings pond at Syncrude’s Aurora site in northern Alberta. Syncrude was charged with the death of the ducks under the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act. The company has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If convicted Syncrude could face up to $800,000 in fines, and executives for the company could face up to six months in jail.
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