2004 Butte Action Committee Year in Review


Some new developments for BAC are our web site www.waterdropcycle.com and our business cards.

Thanks to Shell Caroline for paying Ingrid Mayr for building our beautiful website. We have heard some very positive comments. It is interactive so comments can go on the site and we can respond to queries.

Our directors have been busy representing BAC on a number of committees.

Don Bester is working on the MAC-Multistakeholder Advisory Committee for coal bed methane on the steering committee as well as the Water Group and the Air and Land Group. They are working toward a plan to do CBM the “right way” in Alberta.

Judy Winter is working on the Synergy Alberta steering Committee. This group is setting up a support network in Alberta for all community groups to use. There is a conference in Edmonton in February to showcase the process.

Dayle Christian is working with the Red Deer River Watershed Advisory Council. They are planning how to keep this watershed sustainable.

Shirley Zombori put the display board together and took it to the West Central Stakeholders Information Night to show who we are and what we do. She also manned (womanned) a display table at the Crammond Yard Sale and took donations and memberships.

Mike Gallie took the BAC message to Fish and Game Meetings. Shirley & Mike went to the MGV open house regarding CBM around Penhold.

Several directors attended the presentation on Mapping Aquifers in the Clearwater County. It was very interesting and well worth while.

BAC directors and members attended the CBM meeting in Rocky about the Multistakeholder Advisory Committee and provided input on our concerns about CBM in Alberta.

Most of the directors made it to Kevisville when the EUB put on a presentation about CBM in Central Alberta.

We hosted a meeting with CSUG- Canadian Society for Unconventional Gas- at the Butte hall where CBM was discussed at length so both points of view were well represented. It was a very positive experience-synergistic.

We attended a meeting with Shell at their Caroline plant regarding their tentative plans for CBM exploration in the west country. Our position is simple—leave the methane in seams with fresh water, and minimize the footprint.

We had updates from ConocoPhillips regarding their plan to switch to saline water for the waterflood near Eckville. They are running into difficulties but are still working on replacing their fresh water use.

Judy made several presentations to ConocoPhillips contractors on behalf of BAC regarding how the community is impacted by industry-water issues as well as others.

Don made a presentation at a symposium put on by the Parkland Institute at the University of Calgary on the politics of Water in Alberta.

As a group, we reviewed the draft report of the Water Group for the MAC....since we are the water group in Alberta. We found it very thorough and well prepared.

Judy made a presentation to a CSUG conference in Calgary on behalf of BAC and SynergyAlberta

BAC and Don Bester were recognized by Venture Magazine as important in the Environmental Movement in Alberta.

Don was busy this year. He worked with landowners near Pine Lake to help them set up a group for CBM concerns; at an Alberta Environment Appeal Board mediation hearing in Valleyview for a waterflood by ARC resources; and in Onoway about wet gravel mining. He also offered information and support to the Southern Alberta Land Trust (SALT) on CBM development and water concerns, to the Pakisko Group on forming a Southern Alberta Ranchers Association and to The Wild Crocus Ranching Association of Fort McLeod-south on ground water and oil and gas issues.

But the big happening for BAC was the Capstone Hearing in Red Deer for 3 days in February. It was a major learning experience for most of us. There was tremendous interest from the media and much support from the grassroots… fishermen, landowners, municipalities, and cities. After all the dust had settled, it did not appear to us that we had “won” but as times passes, it is apparent that the ramifications of the decision are far reaching and are changing the way water is used for oilfield injection. Now, after a mediation hearing companies are given a reduced allocation for 1 year with the expectation that the search be on for non fresh water for the rest of the life of the field. This was apparent when Don went to Valleyview for a mediation hearing when Arc Resources applied for fresh water. They were told of the outcome of the Capstone hearing and given a reduced allocation of fresh water for the year with the expectation of finding alternate water after that. Another change that came from the Capstone hearing was the recognition that a differentiation between surface and ground water is not applicable. Basically fresh water is fresh water. BAC is pleased with the outcome of the hearing and with the public’s awareness of possible negative impact that fresh water waterfloods could have on their water supply.

It is apparent from BAC membership activities that we are keeping true to our mandate of preserving fresh water for the future.

Judy Winter - January 18, 2005