Once the final product is shipped to refineries, a footprint remains. This can include open pit mine holes, process water dykes and emissions. And important part of the process of oil sands mining and extraction is understanding the complexity of the surrounding ecosystems, to help develop reclamation plans to determine how to return productive areas to self-sustaining productive states, which is also required by the lease agreements. This is monitored by a state of the art environmental monitoring program and communication with stakeholders including environmental groups and aboriginal people. Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility involving industry, government and consumers of hydrocarbon products.<\/p>\n