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tar sand
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Industrial oil sands facility with smokestacks emitting white smoke, surrounded by open land and ponds, in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Map showing oil pipelines originating from the Alberta tar sands in Canada, with routes extending south through the United States. The map uses different lines to distinguish existing pipelines, proposed Keystone XL routes (including an abandoned route through the Nebraska Sand Hills), and other proposed or existing pipelines such as Flanagan South, Seaway, and Enbridge Northern Gateway. The Alberta tar sands region is shaded in orange, and the Ogallala aquifer is marked in pink beneath parts of
The environmental impact of Canada's oil sands industry
The environmental impact of oil refineries in Canada

tar sand: References & Edit History

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  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Oil Sands development: a health risk worth taking? May 15, 2026
Add new Web site: Cell Press - New focus on tar sands (PDF). Nov 03, 2025
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Oil Sands development: a health risk worth taking? Aug 15, 2025
Add new Web site: Natural Resources Defense Council - Tar Sands Crude Oil: Health Effects of a Dirty and Destructive Fuel (PDF). Jul 03, 2025
Add new Web site: Public Education and Outreach - Oil Sands. Dec 30, 2022
Added new Web site: Oil Shale and Tar Sands EIS - About Tar Sands. Feb 27, 2009
Added new Web site: Energy Minerals Division - Tar Sand. Feb 27, 2009
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - What Are Oil Sands? Dec 25, 2008
Article revised and updated. Dec 05, 2007
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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