Canadian oil sands firms team up on tailings study

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada's oil sands developers, stung by controversy over the environmental impact of their toxic waste ponds, said on Monday they agreed to collaborate on research into speeding up reclamation of the northern Alberta land they cover.

The move comes after Syncrude Canada, one of the largest developers, was found guilty in the 2008 deaths of 1,600 ducks in a tailings pond, an incident that brought the issue into the international spotlight.

Syncrude, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, Imperial Oil Ltd, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Suncor Energy Inc, Teck Resources and Total SA said they were teaming up on research and agreed to eliminate intellectual property barriers to sharing information.

Tailings ponds are expanding man-made lakes that hold byproducts of the oil sands extraction process, including leftover bitumen, heavy metals, clay, and other substances.

Alberta's energy regulator recently tightened rules surrounding tailings in a directive that is aimed at accelerating land reclamation.

However, environmentalists have criticized the process, saying it is approving tailings plans that do not initially meet the new guidelines.

The oil sands companies said they aim to finalize the objectives of their research next year.

(Reporting by Jeffrey Jones; editing by Rob Wilson)