A

Gross production includes product that is internally consumed as well as product lost through practices such as flaring. Gross production volume is used to calculate emission intensities since it represents emissions associated with total plant throughout as opposed to only saleable product.

B

Emissions have been calculated based on the methodology from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and modified where necessary to accommodate the uniqueness of the oil sands processes and where no industry standard exists. API logic is applied in these circumstances. Other reference sources utilized to provide emission factors include Environment Canada, CIDEEDAC and the "Draft Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimation Methodologies for the Oil Sands / Heavy Oil Upgrader Industry". The data is consistent with Suncor's SGER Bill 3 reported Total Annual Emission value, with two exceptions. The reported TAE in the SGER Compliance report excludes CO2 emissions from biomass and total Indirect Emissions. The 2004 to 2006 emissions have been restated to reflect the inclusion of biomass, a methodology change in the calculation of fugitive emissions using LDAR data, and revisions to emission factors based upon AENV's request. These changes are also consistent with the methodology used for SGER Bill 3 reporting. Suncor did not report any emissions from HFCs, PFCs or SF6.

C

Retrofitting of refrigeration systems currently using R-22 or any other HCFCs are part of Suncor's on-going program to phase out the use of ozone depleting substances on site. The conversion of all remaining R-22 systems with RS-44 with more than 10 kg in it is on-going and will continue until complete. RS-44 is a non-ozone depleting substance.

D

Site-wide NOx emissions as reported to Alberta Environment. The decrease in NOx from 2005 to 2006 was a result of Suncor's displacement of a large amount of petroleum coke with natural gas to reduce SO2 emissions.

E

The large increase in 2008 in the benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene speciation is due to a difference in calculation methods, rather than an actual increase in emissions. In previous years, a lack of VOC speciation data for the tailings ponds meant that many emissions were unaccounted for. For the 2008 reporting year pond measurement data has been used to incorporate improvements in the speciation of VOCs and thus more accurate values have been included.

F

The NPRI report for 2008 had not been completed when this report was being compiled.

G

Prior to 2007 the flared gas number included emergency flaring only, the footnote in the 2007 Report on Sustainability was referenced incorrectly. 2007 and 2008 values include emergency and non-emergency flaring.

H

Includes combustion of petroleum coke, natural gas and internally produced fuels; diesel combusted as fuel in mine trucks; flaring; electrical power imports; and the exported electricity to the grid as credit.

I

Total of both surface water withdrawn from the Athabasca River and ground water withdrawn minus the water returned.

J

Water discharge is treated by settling and skimming and quality is sampled from the waste water and cooling water outfalls. The wastewater outfall is monitored for flow, pH, total suspended solids, phenols, chemical oxygen demand (COD), oil and grease, and metals. This outfall was closed in 2004 and 2005, but was reopened March 2006. The cooling water outfall is monitored for flow and oil and grease. Additional monitoring, consistent with the waste water outfall monitoring, was conducted on the cooling water outfall in 2005. 2008 values are less than 2006 and 2007 due to the Pond C outfall being closed from March 2008 through December 31, 2008 due to improvement opportunities and Pond E flow being much less than prior years.

K

The increase in hazardous waste disposed off-site from 2005 to 2006 was due in large part to evaporators at the Firebag facility being shut down for approximately six months. This necessitated the off-site disposal of more than 200m³ per day of hazardous waste during that time. In 2007 and 2008 the evaporator blow down and ecopit waste was disposed of at an off-site hazardous waste facility.

L

Non-hazardous waste on-site includes disposal of drill waste in the tailings ponds and additional domestic waste disposed in a landfill. In 2006, non-hazardous waste disposed of on-site increased due to the opening of the Firebag landfill in May 2006.

M

Site reused/recycled/recovered includes drill waste containing above 8% bitumen from in situ operations which is reprocessed through extraction.

N

O

The tailings pond area calculation is based on fluids area only and does not include solid structures such as beaches and dykes.

P

Major incidents are environment, health or safety incidents that result in a permanent disability or fatality, punitive action by government, having catastrophic environmental impact, or significant impact to the company's reputation. In 2007, notices of enforcement were received from both Alberta Environment and the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board related to regulatory deficiencies in the design, construction and operation of the Firebag in situ facility. In 2008, Kevin Grocutt, a Finning Employee, died at the Millennium mine when a haul truck was being towed to the maintenance shop for repairs.

Q

A regulatory contravention is a failure to meet the conditions specified in operating approvals, permits, or licenses. In 2007 regulatory contraventions dropped significantly. This is due to Oil Sands aligning with other Suncor business units and reporting regulatory contraventions instead of reportable incidents, as had been done previously.

R

The increase in reportable contraventions from 2006 to 2008 is due to a high number of ambient ground level concentration exceedances that occurred in the air monitoring network near the Oil Sands. Projects and operating practices are being evaluated to mitigate the emissions contributing to these exceedances. 2009 air quality exceedances have dropped significantly.