Alberta First Nations denounce plans to ‘treat and release’ oil sands tailings – Ricochet Media
October 27 2025
Oil sands pollution has been kept in ponds for decades — Now the government wants to release it into the Athabaska River watershed
First Nations leaders and approximately 100 supporters gathered in Fort McMurray earlier this month to reject the Alberta government’s proposal to release treated oil sands tailings into the Athabasca River system. The river is a lifeline for Indigenous communities that have already endured decades of environmental and health impacts.
The rally, organized by Mikisew Cree Nation and attended by Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi as well as other Treaty leaders, signals the beginning of what they promise will be a long-term fight involving legal action and continued public pressure against the so-called “treat and release” approach to the polluted byproducts of oil extraction.
A crisis of health and trust
