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8TuesdayNovember262013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGFamiliesinthePeaceRiverareaaretakinglegalactionagainstoilsandscompanyBaytexEnergydemandingthecompanystoptheemissionscomingfromitsinsitubitumenwellstheyallegehavecausedhealthproblemsandforcedthemtoleavetheirhomes.LandownersandcousinsBrianandAlainLabrecquesaytheyinitiallywelcomedthebitumenwellswhentheyrstcameintotheregionas-sumingtheyweredrillingforconventionaloil.SoonafterhoweverthefamiliesbegantoexperiencehealthproblemswhichtheyblameonthegasesbeingventedfromBaytexsheatedprocessingtanks.Thetworecentlyhireden-vironmentalandland-rightslawyerKeithWilsontoforceEnvironmentOilsandsBaytextocloseinitsbitumentankssotheycanreturntotheirhomes.WilsonsentalettertothecompanylastWednesdayde-mandingthecompanystopinterferingwithhisclientsuseandenjoymentoftheirlandbyshuttinginitsfacili-tiesandassociatedbitumenwellsbynolaterthan500p.m.WednesdayNov.27orsufferfurtherlegalaction.Iguessyoucouldsayitsadrasticmeasurebutevery-thingwevebeenthroughsofarhasbeenprettydrasticandIknowtotakethiskindofac-tionintheprovinceofAlbertaisaprettydauntingtaskbutwerenotagainstdevelopmentortheoilindustryBriantoldTheJournal.Therearesomeoperatorsouttherewhohavegoneaboveandbeyondandhavetoberecognizedforwhattheyvedone-agoodjobandthenthereareotherswhoob-viouslyhavent.Thoughtherequestisspe-cicallytohavetheventsshutBriansaidwhattheydreallyliketoseeisatemporaryshut-downofthefacilitiesuntiltheemissionsareaddressed.ItsnodifferentthanifyoulookatameatpackingplantBriansaid.Ife-colisbeende-tectedinameatproducttheybasicallydoahugerecallshutdowntheplantandaninvesti-gationislaunchedtotrytondacauseandensureitdoesnthappenagain.Inthissituationtheyreabletocontinueonandeveryoneshadtomakesacri-cesbuttheoperator.ThoughitiscurrentlyjustthetwofamiliestakingthelegalrouteBriansaidtheyhavethesupportofmanyintheareawhoarentcomfort-ablespeakingout.FamiliessufferingfromhealthproblemsBaytexcurrentlyoperates14bitumenprocessingsiteswithdozensofwellsalonganarrowstripoflandaround8kminlengthdirectlysurroundingtheLabrecquesland.ResidentsintheruralareasaroundPeaceRiverlivescat-teredthroughouttheencroach-ingoilsandsdevelopmentintheregionwherereservesarelo-catedsodeepundergroundtheycanonlybeaccessedthroughinsitusteam-assistedtechnolo-giesorcoldheavyoilproduc-tionCHOPwhichheatscoldbitumenpumpedtothesurfaceinstoragetanks.UnliketheclosedsystemnorthofFortMcMurraywheregasesandotheremissionsarecapturedbytank-topvapourrecoveryequipmentwhenheatingandprocessingtheLabrecquessayventsonBay-texsCHOPtanksareleftopen.Ourhomesandlandsarerightinthemiddleoftheseemissions.TheproblemstemsfromhowBaytexheatstherawbitumentohightemperatures-over175degrees-inopen-ventedtanksAlainsaid.Scienticstudieshavere-portedemissionsfromopen-ventedheatedbitumenstoragetankstoincludeknownneu-rotoxinsandcancer-causingpolycyclicaromatichydro-carbonsPAHsamongothersubstanceswhichcanaffectpeoplethroughinhalationandskincontact.Afterreportedlyexperienc-ingheadachesdizzinesslossofbalancerespiratorytractirritationmuscleachesandspasmseyetwitchingfatigueandvomitingamongothersymptomstheLabrecquesandtheiryoungchildrendecidedtoleavetheirlandonebyonestartinginDecember2011.Theyinitiallythoughttheywouldbegoneforamaximumofsixmonthswhiletheprob-lemswerebeingaddressedbutgoingontwoyearslatertheywanttobeabletoreturntothefarmlandsrstsettledbytheirfamiliesin1929.Mymomanddadmyauntmyuncleandmycousinshaveallbeenoutoftheirhomesfortoolong.WethoughtBaytexwasgoingtoxtheproblembuttheyhaventBriansaid.BaytexdeniesresponsibilityContrarytotheallegationsmadebytheLabrecquesBay-texrepresentativessaytheyhavebeenmorethanaccommo-datinginattemptingtoaddresstheconcernsmadebyresidentsintheareabymakingimprove-mentstotheirtechnology.AndrewLoosleydirectorofstakeholderrelationswithBay-texsaidCHOPdevelopmentintheareabeganin2004.Baytexpurchasedtheexisting41wells-allofwhichwerebeingventedtoatmosphereatthetime-in2011anddrilledanadditionalvewellsofitsown.Thatdrillinghesaidwassuspendedafterthecompanybegantohearconcernsfromresidentspromptingamiti-gationplantodealwiththeemissions.Nodrillinghasoccurredinthepasttwoyearshesaid.Weveinstalledvapourrecoverysystemsaswellascompletedpartialinstalla-tionsofagasconservationsystemonthenewwellsthatwehavethereTheimprove-mentsweveundertakenweredesignedtosignicantlyre-ducetheventingthattheyrespeakingof.Loosleysaidthecompanyhasbeenattemptingtoac-cesstheolderwellsforret-rotsandtonishoffitsgasconservationsystembuthasbeenunabletoacquirethenecessarypermits.HesaidBaytexcommis-sionedanindependentairqualitystudylastspringwhichconcludedtheprojectmetallprovincialambientairqualityguidelines.WereincompliancewithalltheAlbertaEnergyRegula-torsregulationsLoosleysaid.BaytexisstillreviewingtheletterfromWilsoninternallyandwillrespondaccordingly.RegulatorlaunchesinquiryTheAlbertaEnergyRegu-latorAERrecentlylaunchedaninvestigationintothecom-plaintsofodoursandemis-sionsinthePeaceRiverareafrominsituoilsandsdevel-opmentincludingBaytexEnergysprojects.AERspokespersonBobCurrantoldTheJournalinarecentinterviewthatithasbeenworkingwithindustryintheareaforyearstoaddressemissionsandodours.TheAERsworkwithin-dustryhasresultedin94percentofgasproduced...beingcapturedinthePeaceRiverarea.AdditionallytheAERhasworkedwithlandownersandindustrytoimplementaresponseprotocol.Theprotocolhastriggeredmorethan700AERinspectionsand2100AERinvestiga-tionssince2010hesaidinanemail.TherstsubmissionsintheongoinginquiryweremadeinOctoberandpublichear-ingsareexpectedtobegininDecember.Briansaidhisfamilywillactivelyparticipateinthatprocessinthehopethatregu-latorychangeswillbemadepreventingotherAlbertanfamiliesfromendingupinasimilarsituationbuthopesthelegalactionwillbringim-mediaterelieftotheevictedfarmers.Trustmethisisnotapo-sitionwewanttobeinbutitgetstoapointwherewereadamantwestronglyfeelwevegottotakethistoanextraleveljusttotrytogetthissituationresolved.Attheendofthedaywevegotsixfamilieswhovevacatedtheirhomes.Wedontwishthatonanyoneelse.PeaceRiverfamiliestakelegalactiontohaltoilsandsForcedfromhomesresidentsclaimemissionscausinghealthproblemsBaytexsheatedbitumenprocessingtanksnearPeaceRiverareemittingharmfulodoursandemissionssayseveralfamilieswhohavelefttheareacitinghealthproblems.PhotoBrianLabrecque