Syncrude duck charges held over until June 10

A judge in Fort McMurray granted oilsands giant Syncrude more time Wednesday to review documents related to the death of about 500 ducks in a tailings pond last year.

The company appeared in court to answer to two charges related to the April 2008 incident. The judge put over the case until June 10.

Syncrude faces one charge under the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and one charge under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.

On Wednesday, Syncrude lawyer Robert White told the judge the company needed more time because there is a huge amount of material to go through, including scientific reports, water and bitumen samples and expert analysis from the investigation.

The ducks were migrating last spring when they landed on the open water of the tailings pond, which was filled with waste from Syncrude's oilsands operation north of Fort McMurray.

Most of the birds died after they became too heavily coated with oil and waste to fly.

At the time, Syncrude officials said the company normally deploys deterrents like scarecrows and noisemakers on the three-kilometre-wide lake to prevent migrating birds from landing on the water, but implementation was delayed last April due to harsh winter weather conditions.

In February, a Syncrude spokesperson said the company regrets what happened and plans to be ready for when the birds start migrating this spring.