Jessica Ernst presents at Granum Alberta January 26 2006

Jessica Ernst at Granum, Alberta January 26, 2006

Some of the impacts and unresolved concerns to date:

Consultation
– Entirely lacking, improving to inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information;
– Repeat broken promises and lack of follow through

Wastes
– human waste – signs of human defecation on leases, private driveways, etc;
– Drilling mud, some of it toxic
– Saline and fresh water from producing wells.

Shallow Fracturing with potentially toxic chemicals in the additives:
– Secret recipes used, no information on possible health hazards provided;
– Vertical coal cleats may fracture open resulting in vertical gas migration;
– Gas may migrate up energy wells into aquifers.

Noise – notably compressors, also rigs, traffic, flaring
Sound is something you can control, i.e. you can turn it on or off. Noise is something you can not control – you can not turn it off – not even at 4 in the morning when you are trying to sleep.
– 24/7;
– noise levels exponentially increase as CBM is developed;
– In 2004, EnCana falsified two out of two noise studies in response to my noise complaint, the regulator enabled this.
– there is little escape.

Personality change:
– Increased stress, irritability, anger, lack of sleep, loss of legal right to quiet enjoyment of property

Cumulative effects – living in an industrial invasion with:
– Feelings of loss of control as infrastructure and leases expand;
– Diminished personal rights on surface lands and in homes;
– Government and regulators ineffective at upholding regulations or protecting citizen rights;
– Company “good neighbour” policies sound good but I have not yet seen them happen.

Multitude of unconventional wells requires “flea bitten dog drilling” [referred to by industry as “Carpet Bombing”]

Example of 15 sections around my home:
Section #Wells
1-27-22-W4M = 12
2-27-22-W4M = 20
3-27-22-W4M = 6
9-27-22-W4M = 12
10-27-22-W4M = 12
11-27-22-W4M = 11
12-27-22-W4M = 13
13-27-22-W4M = 8 – this is where I live
14-27-22-W4M = 11
15-27-22-W4M = 10
23-27-22-W4M = 13
24-27-22-W4M = 9
6-27-21-W4M = 6
7-27-21-W4M = 10
18-27-21-W4M = 10
Total = 170 wells in 15 sections
Average = 11 per section [as per January 2006]

November 2005, EnCana mailed me a down spacing notification for 7 sections, including the two underlined above. It was the first down spacing notification I received. EnCana wrote:

“There may be four (4) wells per section producing from the same pool.

“The drilling of additional wells in the holdings will enable EnCana expedite gas production and maximize gas recovery…

“These coals are typically developed with four to eight wells per section throughout south-central Alberta.

“Additional wells per section are required due to the tight nature of the coals, from which the gas does not readily drain.”

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