After a two-and-a-half-month trial, tar sands oil giant Syncrude has been found guilty of the criminal charges laid in connection with the deaths of 1,606 ducks that in one of its mining tailings lakes in April 2008. Syncrude was charged under the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and the Federal Migratory Birds Convention Act with failing to undertake due diligence to ensure its toxic tailings do not cause harm to migratory birds.

The ducks are just one page of the tar sands horror story but the trial has been very revealing about the nature of tar sands operations. Nevertheless, while the verdict is in and sentencing is still to come, justice is still a long way from being served.