Environmental group fears boss at Amoco to be named head of new
oilpatch regulatory agency.
The Northern Light Society has learned that Sherrold Moore will
soon be hired to head the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board - the
newly created body formed by the merger of the Energy Resources
Conservation Board and the Public Utilities Board.
The society is concerned Moore's appointment will influence
upcoming deliberations by the board over the controversial license
application by the Amoco to drill natural gas wells in the
sensitive Whaleback region of southwest Alberta.
"The ERCB has never denied a well licence on environmental grounds,
" said Sean Harrison, president of the society. "Our immediate
concern is that having a former (executive) of Amoco being named
chairman of the board will result in an immediate decision in
favour of Amoco.
(end of article)
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Canada's Next Clayoqout Sound Stand-Off
The Battle for the Whaleback Wildland in the Canadian Rockies
The Whaleback Wildland
- a 91 square mile wilderness landscape at the foot of the Rocky
Mountains, 75 miles southwest of Calgary, AB.
- recommended in 1977 for "stringent protective status" by the
Alberta Government assessments.
- a stunning wilderness landscape nestled beside on of Alberta's
oldest ranching communities.
- long known as one of Alberta's two largest critical wintering
ranges for elk.
- Canada's only remaining example of the Montane Natural Region -
low elevation lands in the mountainous regions characterized by
warm, dry winter winds named Chinooks; intermittently snow-free
during the winter; a mosaic of grasslands, exposed ridges and open
forests of Douglas fir, limber pine and white spruce.
- a very rich diversity of wildlife, including rare and uncommon
plants, prairie falcons, golden eagles, cougars and grizzly bears.
The Threat
- head-quartered in Chicago, Amoco is anticipation building roads
and drilling a total of 20 wells to locate the pool of poisonous
(sour) gas they hope lies under the Wildland.
- Amoco plans to get approval for its first road and well into the
heart of the Wildland and its associated elk winter range and
spring grizzly bear habitant.
- if the first well is approved, there will be an irreparable loss
of Canada's last sizable remnant of the Montane, and the loss of
the numerous wilderness, wildlife and cultural values of the
Whaleback Wildland.
- approval of Amoco's application would pre-empt Alberta's ability
to meet national commitments it made in 1992 to protect
representative examples of Alberta's natural landscapes.
In Alberta, The Deck is Stacked Against Protection
- unlike other jurisdictions where Amoco operates, in Alberta:
- there is no opportunity for the public to have a say when their
lands and mineral rights are put up for lease to oil and gas
companies;
- there is no requirement for an environmental impact assessment of
the proposed road and drilling program.
- only at the final step in the government process, when the
company has all other permits in place and applies to the Energy
Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) for the sub-surface licence to
drill the well, does the public have any opportunity for a hearing.
- of the tens of thousands of drilling licences applies for in
Alberta, less than a dozen wells and their associated developments
have made it to public hearings in front of the ERCB and the ERCB
has yet to refuse approval of a single one of these.
- the Alberta Government refused to allow any public servants to
appear and be questioned at the ERCB public hearings on Amoco's
application; the ERCB would not subpoena any public servants to
appear; this included the Regional Wildlife Biologist who has been
responsible for the area for the past 18 years.
- no environmental impact assessment was required of Amoco, and it
has refused to do one.
Booming Gas Industry - No Need to Sacrifice the Whaleback
- the Whaleback Wildland is not the only potential or existing
deposit of poisonous (sour) gas, nor is it the multi-national's
only mineral rights lease in Alberta.
- a total of 7,000 oil and gas wells were drilled in Alberta during
1993, including five times more gas wells than in 1992. From
January 1993 through March 1994, more than 10,000 wells have been
approved by the ERCB.
- along with company profits, gas production hit record levels in
1993, with a 17 per cent increase over the highly productive year
of 1992.
- under questioning at the ERCB hearing, Amoco admitted that the
dollars they have been promoting as the economic benefit to Alberta
of allowing them to drill in the Whaleback are totally speculative;
it could be $0.00.
An Alternative
- seven of the nine families residing in the adjacent ranching
community of Maycroft have stood firm in their opposition to
Amoco's proposed roads and drilling.
- Alberta's conservation organizations have likewise maintained
their opposition to any industrial activity in the Whaleback
Wildland, including Amoco's proposal.
- public interest groups and individual Albertan's have challenged
Amoco to enter into negotiations to return their leased mineral
rights to Albertan's in order to:
- clear the road for legal protection of the Whaleback
Wildland;
- leave the Whaleback Wildland in association with the
Maycroft ranching community and the Peigan People's
traditional use as a functioning example of environmentally
sustainable development