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EnvironmentOilsands7TuesdayDecember102013WearealsotakingdonationsfortheFortSmithAnimalShelter10offuntilChristmasEveSHOPLOCALSHOPORIGINALS171MacKenzieRdInuvikNTX0E0T0867777-2433ByMEAGANWOHLBERGLandownersinthePeaceRiverareadidnotreceivetheresponsetheywerelookingforlastweekwhenoilsandscompanyBaytexEnergyre-fusedtoshutdownitsfacili-tiesinresponsetoresidentsallegedhealthconcernssur-roundingbitumenemissions.ResidentsBrianandAlainLabrecquerecentlyhiredanenvironmentallawyertoworkonhaltingBaytexscoldheavyoilproductionCHOPprojectneartheirfarmlandsclaimingtheemissionsventingfromtheheatedbitumenstoragetankshavemadetheirfami-liesillandcausedthemandveotherfamiliestoleavethearea.Thetwolandownersaskedthecompanylatelastmonthtovoluntarilycloseitstanksandhaltproductionuntiltheconcernscouldbead-dressed.Withthecompa-nysrefusalBriansaidtheirlawyerwillnowrequestaninjunctionfromaQueensBenchjudge.TheAlbertaEnergyRegu-latorAERisinthemidstofholdingapublicinquiryintotheover860complaintsofemissionsandodoursfromPeaceRiverarearesidentssince2010.WhileBaytexhassignalleditwantstowaitfortheoutcomeoftheinquiryprocesstheLabrecquesaresayingtheywantmorerapidchange.WearehappythattheyareconductinganinquirybutbeforeweseeanykindofresultsitcouldverywellbeanotheryearsoIthinkitsalottoaskfortheresi-dentsandlandownerswhohavebeenoutoftheirhomesfortwoyearsBriantoldTheJournal.Tomethatskindofun-acceptablewhentheyBay-texhaventstoppedwhattheyvebeendoing.ItmightbeadifferentstoryiftheyreallyrespectedtheinquiryprocessandexpectedustowaitforayearthattheywouldsayWeregonnashutdownandwaitforayearfortheresultsaswell.Butob-viouslytheyrenotpreparedtodothat.AndrewLoosleydirectorofstakeholderrelationsatBaytexsaidthecompanyhasundertakenanumberofmeasurestoaddresstheconcernsofresidentsbutthoseplanshavebeenstalledbytheobjectionsofthelandowners.Thecompanybegancon-structingagasconservationsystemmeanttocapturegasfromtheCHOPwellstobeusedinternallyforbitumenproductioninthesummerof2012butablanketobjectionfromlandownersputahalttotheplanwhichwouldhavealsoseenexcessgasaredoff.ConstructionstoppedlastDecember.Thegasconservationpipelinewasakeycompo-nentandthenanintermedi-atestepinthatplanwastodosomearing.RatherthanventingwewouldburnoffthisgasasanintermediatestepaswemovedforwardtoevaluateandgetadditionaloptionstofurtherreducetheemissionsLoosleysaid.InorderforustoproceedwiththatplantheresidentsneededtoremoveablanketobjectionthatwasledwiththeAERinMayof2012.Whilethecompanyisblamingresidentsforhaltingprogressonemissionscap-turingBriansaidthecom-panysclaimsaremislead-ingandthatBaytexsplantoxtheproblemdoesnotaddressthekeyconcernsofresidentswhichcenteronthegasesventingfromtheheatedstoragetanksandnottheCHOPwells.WithCHOPultraheavyoilisstoredinhundredsofheatedstoragetanksaroundtheregion.ShellCanadasbitumenhandbooknotesfumesfromstoragetankscanresultinirritationtotheeyesnoseandrespira-torytractandheadachesandnausea.Theconservationsys-temthattheyproposedtheywereonlylookingatcapturingthecasinggasfromtheactualwellandthenrunningthatgasintoalineintoageneratingsta-tionwheretheywouldeitheruseittogeneratetheirownpowerfortheirownuseorsellbackontothegrid...Soitwasagreatwaytokindofbuythemselvestimetosaywereworkingonaso-lutionweregoingtoxtheproblembuttheyrenotactuallyaddressingtherealproblemBriansaid.Ifatanypointtheyhadcomeoutandsaidwearegoingtoimplementasys-temandcaptureallthosetanktopemissionsandhaveacompletelyclosedsystemthereisnowaywewouldhaveeverobjectedtothat.Thatswhatwevebeenwantingforthelasttwoyears.StudieshavefoundthatcarcinogenicpolycyclicaromatichydrocarbonsPAHsalongwithpotentneurotoxinslikehydrogensuldebenzenetolueneethylbenzenexylenechlo-romethaneandacetoneareallassociatedwithemis-sionsfromheatedbitumenstoragetanks.Yearsofcomplaintsofnauseaheadachesskinrashesmemorylossjointpainexhaustionanddif-cultybreathinghavebeenenoughtoforcesevenfam-iliesintheareatomove.Somehavecomplainedaboutsicklivestockandmoreaboutdevaluedprop-ertyasoilsandsdevelopmentincreasinglyencroachesupontheirfarmland.BaytexmaintainsthatitsoperationsarewithinAlbertaemissionsguidelinesbackedupbyitsownindependentairqualitystudy.Loosleysaidthecompanywelcomestheinquirytobringclosuretotheissue.ItsaboldstepbytheAlbertaEnergyRegula-torandwerewelcomingtheopportunitytoproceedwiththathesaid.Thatwillprovideanadditionalopportunityforustoen-gagewiththepublicandinourviewwevebeenlisteningtotheirconcernsandtryingtoaddressthemaccordingly.TheAlbertaEnergyRegu-latorsproceedingtoinvesti-gateandmakerecommenda-tionsaboutodoursandemis-sionsassociatedwithheavyoiloperationsinthePeaceRiverareawillcommenceJan.212014.TheAERpanelexpectstoissueitsreportbyMar.312014.BaytexblamesresidentsinPeaceRiveroilsandsghtLandownerstoleinjunctionagainstcompanycitinghealthconcernsPhotoBrianLabrecqueTheAlbertaEnergyregulatoriscurrentlyholdingapublicenquiryintomorethan860complaintsaboutemissionsandodoursfromPeaceRiverarearesidentssince2010.