EDMONTON- Specialists from a number of wildlife organizations are in Edmonton treating several animals affected by a bitumen leak near Cold Lake.
There are currently two American beavers, two muskrats, a mallard duckling and an American coot receiving medical care at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton (WRSE).
“What happens to these guys when they’re impacted by oil is that there can be internal affects from ingesting, it often shows up in their gastrointestinal track. There also can be external burning. And one of the biggest problems with it is it completely disrupts the waterproofing,” explained Coleen Doucette with Oiled Wildlife of British Columbia.
Doucette says when an animal is no longer waterproofed, water can make its way through the animal’s skin, and it will no longer be able to maintain its core body temperature.
“Once they can’t maintain their body temperature, they become hypothermic and can die from that. Very quickly, actually.”
The animals are medically treated for exposure to bitumen using international standards for oiled wildlife rehabilitation. Officials actually use Dawn dish washing liquid to clean the animals because they say it’s proven the most effective for removing bitumen.
Canadian Natural Resources Limited says a mechanical failure at an old well is behind the ongoing bitumen seepage at its oilsands project on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. Officials say the damage has been contained. They say the cleanup is proceeding well, and wildlife rescue is a big part of that cleanup.
“All the sites have wildlife fencing and wildlife deterrents to make sure we keep wildlife out. We have wildlife crews going around surveying, assessing, collecting, capturing any wildlife, and if they’re outside our perimeter fence they release them at locations around there. If they have signs of impact then they come down here for treatment,” said Kirk Skocylas, an incident commander with CNRL.
Skocylas says water samples are being tested on a daily basis.
A team of investigators is now working to determine the cause of the spill and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future.
With files from Nancy Carlson, Global News.
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