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http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070819/energy_standoff_070819/20070819?hub=Canada
Drilling standoff in Prairie wildlife area to stretch out
Updated Sun. Aug. 19 2007 1:47 PM ET
Canadian Press
A long-simmering Prairie standoff between one of Canada's largest energy companies and the military over a tract of grassland is set to drag well into next year with both sides claiming to have the best interests of the delicate landscape at heart.
At issue is whether EnCana Corp. will be allowed to go after an estimated 125 billion cubic feet of natural gas that lies beneath the Suffield National Wildlife Area in southeastern Alberta.
But that requires drilling nearly 1,300 new wells on a unique corner of Canada that's still home to hundreds of rare Prairie plants and animals -- including 13 federal species at risk such as the burrowing owl and the Ord's kangaroo rat.
The convoluted regulatory process facing Calgary-based EnCana stretched out further late last week when the joint federal-provincial review panel tasked with refereeing the fight extended the public comment period until the end of August.
That means public hearings won't begin until late this year at the very earliest. A binding decision from the Department of National Defence isn't even possible until late next spring...........................
...............The base got a new boss in June. And while Lt.-Col Malcolm Bruce avoids most of the anti-oilpatch rhetoric of former commander Dan Drew, the message remains clear.
"I am mandated, if you will, to look after the environment down here,'' Bruce said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "It's part of our departmental responsibility as assigned by Environment Canada, and therefore I set it as one of the highest priorities in the base.''
"To be honest with you, my predecessor Dan Drew has quite frankly re-established the need for us to get more involved and more proactive. He was very vocal about it and he put us back on the right road.''
The military's reputation doesn't often extend to that of being a staunch environmental protector, particularly in Suffield, the largest live-fire military training base in the western world, where Canadian and British troops spend months each year roaring around in tanks and firing artillery in simulated battle.
But according to Bruce: "Military activity on the range has minimal impact because we do stringent environmental assessments so we know when is the best time to train on different areas at different climates.''
For example, the British army trains on the base mainly between May and October, during the drier parts of the year when damage to the topsoil is less severe.
Bruce believes, however, that all users of CFB Suffield lands -- including the military, the energy industry and cattle grazers -- can do a better job in protecting the land.
Dan Casselman with Nature Canada in Ottawa isn't surprised at the thought of an enviro-friendly military.
He says defence staff recognized the ecological significance of the area nearly 40 years ago. They started to treat it like a nature preserve decades ago by banning all military training in the 460 square kilometres that are now the wildlife area.
"I'm not surprised at all they're doing it. If anybody can do it, they can,'' said Casselman. "I mean it's National Defence. If I want anyone defending the environment, it's them.'' Full story at url header
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070819/energy_standoff_070819/20070819?hub=Canada
Drilling standoff in Prairie wildlife area to stretch out
Updated Sun. Aug. 19 2007 1:47 PM ET
Canadian Press
A long-simmering Prairie standoff between one of Canada's largest energy companies and the military over a tract of grassland is set to drag well into next year with both sides claiming to have the best interests of the delicate landscape at heart.
At issue is whether EnCana Corp. will be allowed to go after an estimated 125 billion cubic feet of natural gas that lies beneath the Suffield National Wildlife Area in southeastern Alberta.
But that requires drilling nearly 1,300 new wells on a unique corner of Canada that's still home to hundreds of rare Prairie plants and animals -- including 13 federal species at risk such as the burrowing owl and the Ord's kangaroo rat.
The convoluted regulatory process facing Calgary-based EnCana stretched out further late last week when the joint federal-provincial review panel tasked with refereeing the fight extended the public comment period until the end of August.
That means public hearings won't begin until late this year at the very earliest. A binding decision from the Department of National Defence isn't even possible until late next spring...........................
...............The base got a new boss in June. And while Lt.-Col Malcolm Bruce avoids most of the anti-oilpatch rhetoric of former commander Dan Drew, the message remains clear.
"I am mandated, if you will, to look after the environment down here,'' Bruce said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "It's part of our departmental responsibility as assigned by Environment Canada, and therefore I set it as one of the highest priorities in the base.''
"To be honest with you, my predecessor Dan Drew has quite frankly re-established the need for us to get more involved and more proactive. He was very vocal about it and he put us back on the right road.''
The military's reputation doesn't often extend to that of being a staunch environmental protector, particularly in Suffield, the largest live-fire military training base in the western world, where Canadian and British troops spend months each year roaring around in tanks and firing artillery in simulated battle.
But according to Bruce: "Military activity on the range has minimal impact because we do stringent environmental assessments so we know when is the best time to train on different areas at different climates.''
For example, the British army trains on the base mainly between May and October, during the drier parts of the year when damage to the topsoil is less severe.
Bruce believes, however, that all users of CFB Suffield lands -- including the military, the energy industry and cattle grazers -- can do a better job in protecting the land.
Dan Casselman with Nature Canada in Ottawa isn't surprised at the thought of an enviro-friendly military.
He says defence staff recognized the ecological significance of the area nearly 40 years ago. They started to treat it like a nature preserve decades ago by banning all military training in the 460 square kilometres that are now the wildlife area.
"I'm not surprised at all they're doing it. If anybody can do it, they can,'' said Casselman. "I mean it's National Defence. If I want anyone defending the environment, it's them.'' Full story at url header
