PONOKA, Alta. – Every morning before breakfast, Shawn and Ronalie Campbell check their e-mail for updates on their ongoing fight with the Alberta government and the oil industry over their contaminated water well.
Since the Ponoka couple went public last May about their contaminated water, they’ve had phone calls and messages from across the country from farmers concerned about the safety of their own water, especially if they live near an area with a lot of drilling activity.
The Campbells have 50 wells within 1.5 kilometres of their home. Spread out over a wider area, their home is surrounded by hundreds of wells that pump oil and gas.
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The couple hopes the issue of safe drinking water in rural areas becomes part of the election debate.
“It’s a big issue. It’s more than one well,” said Shawn.
“We’re here to help all of Alberta. Yes, we want our well fixed, but we want all Alberta to have assurance they have safe water and make sure the government takes a true heart-felt stab at it.”
When the Campbells moved to their central Alberta farm 11 years ago, they thought the seven money-generating oil and gas wells on their home section were a bonus. But today, the growing number of wells has become a headache.
Water well tests by government and energy have identified gas in the Campbell’s water well, but the couple has not received acknowledgement for responsibility or assistance.
The provincial government’s Alberta Environment department maintains the gas in the Campbell’s well was naturally occurring. But a review of the provincial data by the Alberta Research Council wasn’t as clear. That report said their well was “impacted” with deep gases, but did not point the finger at industry.
Having no clear answer is frustrating for the couple, who want safe water for their cattle and their home.
“Sure we could bring in a cistern, but that doesn’t deal with the issue,” said Ronalie, who bought a personal gas detection device, the same type of instrument used in the oil patch.
When the reading in their house reaches five, the lower explosive limit, they get nervous. Lately, it has held steady at three.
For Green Party candidate Joe Anglin, water is the number one issue.
“Absolutely, without question in the rural areas, it’s water,” said Anglin, taking a break from meeting voters door-to-door in Blackfalds, just north of Red Deer.
“People understand the value of water. They’re not buying (the) government’s line that their water is being protected,” said Anglin, the former head of a landowners group that stopped the building of an energy transmission line by AltaLink through their farmland.
During the hearing, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board acknowledged hiring private detectives to spy on the landowners group.
The spying story has been a good opening line for Anglin during the election campaign. It gets people talking. With few resources to run his campaign, Anglin relies on postings to You Tube and other internet sites of earlier debates with incumbent Progressive Conservative candidate Ray Prins.
“Success for me will be raising awareness. Winning will be a long shot. Bigger than beating AltaLink,” he said.
During the first week of the campaign, Prins was setting up a campaign office and rounding up volunteers.
Prins believes people in the central Alberta riding are supportive of Alberta premier Ed Stelmach and the changes implemented in his first year as premier.
“The vast majority of people talking say you’re doing a good job and stay the course,” said Prins, a farmer and former county reeve.
“They are not willing to jeopardize their future by jumping to a new party. They like the idea of protecting our prosperity,” said Prins.
He said he hasn’t heard about water concerns, but believes it to be an important issue.
“I haven’t heard a peep about that yet,” said Prins.
He said he thinks few landowners have issues with energy companies. When energy companies come into an area, farmers often gather to discuss concerns and educate themselves on the issues to make sure energy companies follow the rules, he said.
“My feeling is water is a very important issue and protecting our aquifers is of paramount important to the government.”
Further east, Jack Hayden, Conservative candidate for the Drumheller-Stettler constituency, said he hears lots of talk about water, but it’s about the pipelines that have been announced to bring treated water to small towns, villages and the Special Areas of eastern Alberta.
Together with existing regional water systems, most communities will soon have access to safe drinking water, he said.
“It was a lot of forward thinking,” said Hayden, former head of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties.
While Hayden hasn’t heard about contaminated water wells during the election, it has been an issue in the past.
