Foster Creek Sulfur Biomonitoring

Cenovus participated in a sulphur emissions biomonitoring program at the Foster Creek Thermal Project to demonstrate due diligence and establish an early detection system for potential air emission effects on vegetation. The program evaluated whether lichen sulphur content and jack pine needle condition varied with distance and direction from the central facilities. Monitoring was carried out over a three-year period that coincided with the expansion of the facility. This approach provided a framework for assessing both localized and regional impacts of sulphur emissions.

Results showed that ambient SO₂ levels remained below thresholds associated with declines in lichen abundance. Sulphur content in lichens increased over time but stayed within the range of values reported from similar research in the area. While distance effects were generally absent, a significant directional effect was detected in 2009, with higher sulphur concentrations southeast of the facility, and unexpectedly, the highest concentrations occurred at distant control plots. These findings suggest either the influence of other sulphur sources near the control sites or a regional increase in SO₂ emissions, though emissions from the central facility were not high enough to cause lichen injury; overall, the data serve as an important reference point for future monitoring in the Foster Creek area.