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November 15, 2005: Groups fear drilling in Alta. wildlife reserve could open development doors

Canada

Groups fear drilling in Alta. wildlife reserve could open development doors

CBC NEWS

Nov 15, 2005

BOB WEBER

CANADIAN PRESS

EDMONTON (CP) - Alberta environmentalists fear an energy company's plans to more than double its number of wells inside a national wildlife area could open the doors to development in other federally protected reserves.

Calgary-based EnCana Corp. has filed an application to drill up to 1,275 new gas wells inside the Canadian Forces Base Suffield National Wildlife Area in southwestern Alberta, one of the largest stretches of unplowed native shortgrass prairie left in the country.

Groups including the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the Federation of Alberta Naturalists are worried about the impact of the project on the 1,100 species of plants and animals that live there, include 92 species listed as at risk or threatened.

They also fear it could create a precedent for development in other wildlife areas.

"They just can't help but disturb things," said Dennis Baresco, a naturalist from Medicine Hat, Alta.

"If they allow it here, they really can't stop development in other national wildlife areas."

The area comprises 458 square kilometres of prairie grassland blanketing rare landscapes including sand hills, ancient glacial coulees, and the riverbank and breaks along the South Saskatchewan River valley.

It is home to colonies of burrowing owls, kangaroo rats and an antelope herd of almost 4,000 animals. Elk have recently been re-introduced to the area.

EnCana spokeswoman Florence Murphy points out that EnCana (TSX:ECA) has been active in the area for about 30 years, long predating the 2003 creation of the reserve.

"There is nothing different (in this application) than there has been in the past," she said.

EnCana operates 1,154 wells there, she says, adding that without drilling new wells, gas will be left stranded in the ground.

The new wells will largely use already existing roads, although they will require 220 kilometres of new pipeline in addition to the 760 kilometres of pipe already there, Murphy said.

The company already takes the area's special status into consideration in its operations and is in the beginning stages of preparing an environmental impact assessment for its new plans, said Murphy.

But David Ingstrup of Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service acknowledges such an extensive program of new drilling - up to 16 new wells per section of land, or 259 hectares - could create a damaging precedent for other wildlife areas.

"It certainly has a potential," he said. "That's one of the considerations we'll be having as we go through this."

National wildlife areas don't forbid other land use practices. But the legislation says that industrial or agricultural activity can't harm wildlife habitat, Ingstrup said.

As well as gas drilling, the Suffield area also supports grazing leases. It also used to serve as part of CFB Suffield's weapons testing range and is still owned by the Department of National Defence.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is currently deciding whether EnCana's application will be heard by a public panel review or be handled by an internal review.

The agency is seeking comment on the question until Dec. 12.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/051115/b1115...