Landowners in southwestern Alberta have lost a long battle to keep sour gas wells out of untouched territory.The province’s Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) has approved a Suncor Energy-PetroCanada application to drill 11 sour gas wells and build a battery and two pipelines in the eastern slopes region southwest of Longview.“It’s really pristine, virgin country. We pushed to have it go on a different route,” said Mac Blades, president of the Pekisko Group, a landowner association representing about 30 families who objected to the development at public hearings held from November 2008 to the end of January 2009.“There are some damned mad people, I’ll tell you.”The group has not decided on its next step because an appeal must be based on technical grounds rather than on the actual decision.Objections to the project came from landowners, residents, grazing leaseholders, ranchers, the Eden Valley Reserve, the Municipal District of Ranchland and campground operators.They proposed another route that would pass by a secondary highway and forestry cut blocks.Blades said going through an area that is already disturbed would protect the virgin land.Suncor spokesperson Sneh Seetal said the company has not decided when drilling might start, but it has no plans to sell the lease.“We are pleased we have received regulatory approval for our application. We are currently studying the conditions of the approval and will assess the project in the context of future budgeting cycles and Suncor’s overall strategy.”Seetal said the company realizes there are environmental concerns and promised to continue talking with residents and landowners.The greatest objections were over environmental impacts on the grasslands and watershed that eventually drains into the Oldman and Highwood rivers.The group worried that runoff travelling through a gas field could cause future contamination.“We are trying to protect the watershed so there is pure water coming out of these streams for these towns,” Blades said.The ERCB placed 15 conditions on the approval, including enhanced emergency planning measures, increased noise and ground water monitoring and further environmental protection measures.However, Blades said these did not go far enough.“We thought at least there would be substantial conditions put on them, but it was just rubber stamped.”Blades said agriculture deserved a better hearing.“There should be at least one person for agriculture on the (ERCB) board.”
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