Saskatchewan environment minister Lorne Scott says the latest studies show nothing is wrong with either the water or the cattle on Perry Anton’s ranch.
But at least one expert dismissed the studies, calling them “absurd.”
The provincial government commissioned tests on the dugouts and the cattle on the Fox Valley-area ranch in southwestern Saskatchewan last fall.
Anton claims the water was contaminated by activity from a natural gas compressor station located less than a kilometre north of a dugout on crown grazing land.
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After drinking the water, several of his cattle became ill and died in 1992. Since then, his cattle have been removed from the area.
“The water is fine,” Scott told reporters. “It’s safe for both human and animal use. A thorough examination revealed that the cow herd is in good health and there’s no problem ….”
Anton said he was relieved to hear that, but he wonders why he is still having problems with dry cows. And he questioned what the studies would have found if the cattle had still been drinking from the dugout or if the tests had been done during winter.
The water quality study, done by MR2-McDonald and Associates, acknowledges that the “previous situation of high total dissolved solids and extreme toxicity in the dugouts occurred in the winter when the dugouts were under ice cover.”
Wally Hamm, of darWall Consultants in Saskatoon, said the most recent studies are absurd and irrelevant because the cattle have been removed from the contaminated site for five years.
He tested the water in 1993 and found acute toxicity. However, other studies were conflicting or inconclusive. At least one report, done before Hamm’s, recommended the dugout be fenced due to poor water quality and a 1995 report by WDA Consultants found three toxic dugouts.
“The fact is there was no problem there before the gas industry showed up and now there is a serious problem,” Hamm said. “As a scientist I’m convinced that there is a relationship between the cattle problem and the presence of the gas industry on the Anton ranch. It’s a very simple conclusion and I believe it’s a reliable conclusion and there’s a number of other scientists that feel the same way.”
Bill Kruczko, chair of the Cypress Surface Rights Association, asked why Anton’s cattle are still doing poorly if there are no problems.
He said he too lost cattle after an oil well was drilled on his land.
“I had that particular well site fenced about three years ago,” he said. “I haven’t lost a cow in that field since, and I wasn’t losing cattle before we had this development so you tell me why suddenly are we having problems.”
Traces of oil found
Anton said despite the recent study he still has concerns. In one monitor well, near an old drilling fluid disposal pit, a small amount of hydrocarbon was detected.
“The detected hydrocarbon is in the carbon 21 to 36 range, which is classified as a heavy lubricating oil,” the report said.
“Now how would that get there,” Anton asked.
He also wants to know why an environmental protection branch employee told him to only graze 10 of his cattle near the dugouts and not the whole herd.
Dave Ballagh said he only meant Anton should take “due care and effort” after his experience of the last five years.
Meanwhile, independent MLA Jack Goohsen, who represents the riding, called on the government to compensate Anton for his losses and met with the minister to discuss the matter.
“We are cautiously optimistic that we have a commitment by the minister to have closure on this,” Goohsen said after the meeting. “We are hopeful that we can in the next little while come to some monetary agreement.”
Anton is less hopeful.
“It’s never going to end,” he said.
