Reclaiming reclamation pt. II

The Wood Buffalo Viewing Point Fort Mc Murray is located in the heart of the Canadian oil sands industry and is situated on a hill that has been restored to its natural state. The Syncrude Mildred Lake project can be seen in the background.
There is also a reserve at this location where bisons are once again being bred. From there you can see a tailings pond. Below the viewpoint is water that was taken from the local rivers and lakes after it was used in the chemical process to extract crude oil from the oil sands. Due to pollution, this water cannot be returned to the original waters. By storing it in settling ponds, the industry hopes that the toxic substances will settle out within 20 to 30 years so that the water can be purified and returned naturally. At a nearby Oil Discovery Center, a video points out that research into safety is still ongoing.
To keep birds and other animals away from the toxic waters, so-called sonic cannons and other defense mechanisms have been set up. However, these do not stop the birds from landing on the waters.
In this dystopian environment, I place a square meter of artificial turf. To place it properly in the landscape, I have to rip out about one square meter of grass, to make sure, it doesn’t just float on top. It is an act to showcase reclaiming for what it actually is.

Video:  David LaRiviere
Photo (1): Anna Lorenzana
Photo (2-4): David LaRiviere