Northern Alberta communities raise concern over week-long foul odour from oilsands site, benzene leak speculation debunked

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeHealthNewsLocal News Northern Alberta communities raise concern over week-long foul odour from oilsands site, benzene leak speculation debunked While some residents and community members have speculated a benzene leak, Suncor told Postmedia that there is no indication of such an incident Author of the article: By Itoro Umanah Published Sep 16, 2026 2 minute read Join the conversation Traffic on Highway 63 rushes past Syncrude's Mildred Lake facility north of Fort McMurray on May 17, 2025. PHOTO BY VINCENT MCDERMOTT /Postmedia Network Article content Over the past week, odour complaints have echoed through the Wood Buffalo region, with the Fort McKay area most affected but extending up to 43 kilometres south to Fort McMurray. Article content Some residents have described the odours as unbearable and even compared it to the smell of cat urine. Article content Article content The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) released a statement on Friday after receiving complaints from surrounding communities, stating the smell was coming from the Syncrude Mildred Lake oilsands facility. Article content Article content The site, which is operated by Suncor Energy, is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance, which Suncor said may have contributed to odours that residents experienced over the past week. Article content Headline News Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content While this is not strange to the oilsands region – due to the many industrial activities that take place year-round – this past week has been particularly concerning to residents, many of whom have taken to social media to express their worry. Article content The AER said in the release that Suncor is “taking steps to mitigate” the effects of the smell on the community. Article content AER said complaints were first reported on Sept. 8, after which they said a field inspector was sent to investigate the odours and “mitigation measures” being adopted by Suncor. Article content “Our teams continue to closely monitor and respond to the odour situation, which is currently believed to be related to on-site tank maintenance activities. Our teams have and will continue to progress a number of activities to…