The most amazing thing to me about the tar sands play are the huge, virtually permanent, wastewater ponds, filled with contaminated oily wastewater. No one I know in the Texas oil patch would do that for two reasons: (1) It's irresponsible and (2) The regulatory authorities wouldn't let us do it anyway.

Good article by Byron King (2006 ASPO-USA) on the Tar Sands Play: http://www.energybulletin.net/22358.html

olol 25km^2 of tailing ponds!