The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, Oct. 3, edition that documents filed by Imperial Oil show the company and Alberta's energy regulator knew the Kearl oil sands mine was seeping tailings into groundwater years before a pool of contaminated fluid was reported on the surface, alarming area first nations and triggering three investigations. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that environmental toxicologist Mandy Olsgard says: "They knew there was seepage to groundwater. The [Alberta Energy Regulator] and Imperial decided not to notify the public and just manage it internally." Imperial Oil says that seepage was anticipated in Kearl's original design. Spokesman Lisa Schmidt says Imperial Oil has kept both the regulator and area communities informed. Alberta Energy Regulator spokesman Lauren Stewart says the agency is committed to strong oversight of the Kearl site. Ms. Olsgard points to groundwater monitoring reports filed by Imperial Oil to the regulator. The 2020 and 2021 documents acknowledge tailings were seeping from the ponds that were supposed to contain them. The tailings were detected at monitoring wells within the mine's lease area. CP reports that the seepage at Kearl continues.