A number of farmers near Rimbey, Alta., are raising concerns about a nearby hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operation, saying they believe its significant use of water is having an impact on their businesses.
“The consequences on our herd, it’s devastating,” said Butch Smith, who added his family has operated a bison farm in the area for three decades.
“Our animals in the feedlot — for three-and-a-half months — did zero gain on full feed, our yearlings, which is the way we make our living.”
Smith and others have voiced concerns ever since Calgary-based Spartan Delta Corp. began work on its fracking operation last year after purchasing land to do so in the area.
The Alberta Energy Regulator describes fracking as “a technique used to break up the rocks deep inside the earth to help get the oil and natural gas flowing,” noting the process has been used in more than 180,000 wells in the province since the 1950s.
Spartan Delta Corp.’s operation uses hoses to pull in water from sources that can be several kilometres away in order to feed a reservoir, which some area farmers told Global News is leaving their water sources low, drying up their pastures and making it difficult to sustain their livestock.
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“Nobody sees what goes on in these communities — the effect it has, the loss of livestock in these areas,” said Dustin Dial, an area farmer. “We’re having to sell off livestock because we can’t water them.”
Smith said the water issues, combined with noise from the oil and gas company’s construction work, also resulted in his family selling some of its herd.
“Our aquifer’s not refilling,” he said. “And I would say if they keep pumping water the way they are, we’ll be out of water in no time flat — and then what do we do?”
Spartan Delta Corp. took part in a town hall with members of the community in the fall and another public meeting that will involve the AER is set to take place next month to talk about the issues.
In a statement to Global News, a company spokesperson said it “strictly adheres to all regulations — as set out by the Alberta Energy Regulator and Alberta Environment.”
Spartan Delta Corp. noted that it has already been audited 39 times to ensure it is complying with its responsibilities.
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