They do a good job restoring lands that no longer have anything to give and recycling the water as much as possible but it looks like a disaster all the time because such a large area is always in the process of being dug up and/or being transitioned back which takes time.
Could they move faster and do a better job? Sure but it's not the a total disaster. JMO though.
See here for more details: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/publications/18740
Quote
100 percent of land must be reclaimed:
Oil sands development is subject to environmental standards that are among the most stringent in the world. The Government of Alberta requires that companies remediate and reclaim 100 percent of the land after the oil sands have been extracted. Reclamation means that land is returned to a self-sustaining ecosystem with local vegetation and wildlife.
Long before the landscape is touched by development, comprehensive assessments identify potential environmental impacts, such as those affecting land, air, water and biodiversity. Steps are then taken during the life of a project to minimize any negative effects. Oil sands companies must file a Conservation and Reclamation Plan as part of their initial project application, keep it current, and post financial security bonds for reclamation. The provincial government ensures that all oil sands companies fulfil their legal obligation to reclaim the land.
In the oil sands area, the Government of Alberta has committed to conserving and protecting more than 2 million hectares (ha) (20,000 square kilometres [km2] or 7,722 square miles [sq. mi.]) of habitat for native species as part of the 2012-2022 Lower Athabasca Regional Plan. In addition, there are almost 4.5 million ha (44,800 km2, 17,300 sq. mi.) of federally protected land - Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada - just north of the oil sands.
Oil sands mineable area is 0.2 percent of Canada's boreal forest
Canada's crude oil reserves are the third-largest proven deposit of crude oil in the world. Ninety-seven percent of these reserves, or 167.2 billion barrels of oil, are in the form of oil sands bitumen.
The oil sands are found in western Canada and are located within the boundaries of Canada's boreal forest, which stretches more than 5,000 km (3,100 mi.) from coast to coast and covers about 30 percent of the country's land mass.Footnote 1 The total area of the oil sands that is accessible through surface mining represents 0.2 percent of Canada's boreal forest.
Could they move faster and do a better job? Sure but it's not the a total disaster. JMO though.
See here for more details: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/publications/18740
Quote
100 percent of land must be reclaimed:
Oil sands development is subject to environmental standards that are among the most stringent in the world. The Government of Alberta requires that companies remediate and reclaim 100 percent of the land after the oil sands have been extracted. Reclamation means that land is returned to a self-sustaining ecosystem with local vegetation and wildlife.
Long before the landscape is touched by development, comprehensive assessments identify potential environmental impacts, such as those affecting land, air, water and biodiversity. Steps are then taken during the life of a project to minimize any negative effects. Oil sands companies must file a Conservation and Reclamation Plan as part of their initial project application, keep it current, and post financial security bonds for reclamation. The provincial government ensures that all oil sands companies fulfil their legal obligation to reclaim the land.
In the oil sands area, the Government of Alberta has committed to conserving and protecting more than 2 million hectares (ha) (20,000 square kilometres [km2] or 7,722 square miles [sq. mi.]) of habitat for native species as part of the 2012-2022 Lower Athabasca Regional Plan. In addition, there are almost 4.5 million ha (44,800 km2, 17,300 sq. mi.) of federally protected land - Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada - just north of the oil sands.
Oil sands mineable area is 0.2 percent of Canada's boreal forest
Canada's crude oil reserves are the third-largest proven deposit of crude oil in the world. Ninety-seven percent of these reserves, or 167.2 billion barrels of oil, are in the form of oil sands bitumen.
The oil sands are found in western Canada and are located within the boundaries of Canada's boreal forest, which stretches more than 5,000 km (3,100 mi.) from coast to coast and covers about 30 percent of the country's land mass.Footnote 1 The total area of the oil sands that is accessible through surface mining represents 0.2 percent of Canada's boreal forest.
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