News Release January 6, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EUB LAUNCHES SOUR GAS SAFETY REQUIREMENTS REVIEW
Calgary, Alberta (6 January 2000) The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) is launching a process to review safety requirements currently applicable to the development of Alberta's sour natural gas resources. This public process will involve representatives across a broad spectrum of stakeholder groups and will result in recommendations being presented to the EUB regarding future sour gas development within Alberta.
This review comes as a result of general concern regarding public issues and the growth and operation of sour gas wells and facilities near rural and urban development. As part of its mandate, the EUB must ensure that development of Alberta's resources takes place in a responsible manner in the interests of all Albertans. A key component of that mandate involves public and environmental safety. The EUB has recognized a need to clarify issues surrounding the effectiveness of the current sour gas regulatory framework. This new initiative will review the safety measures used by the EUB to regulate development and operation of sour gas wells and facilities throughout Alberta.
As part of its commitment to public involvement, the EUB will invite representatives from various stakeholder groups, including the public at large, provincial government, municipalities, and industry, to sit on a Provincial Advisory Committee. Experts from various special disciplines, such as public safety and risk management, will also be asked to participate. The process will include opportunities for the general public to offer input on issues of concern. The committee's role is to establish the detailed terms of reference for the review, examine relevant issues, and report its findings and recommendations to the EUB. Although the scope of this initiative is expected to be broad, it will not deal with chronic human health or domestic animal, livestock, or wildlife health issues, as these topics are the subject of other research projects being considered by the government of Alberta. Sulphur recovery guidelines and flaring requirements, including flaring efficiency and compensation relating to costs associated with emergency incidents, are other topics that will not be subject of this review because they are currently being addressed in other forums.
The committee will be chaired by Mr. Gerry DeSorcy. Mr. DeSorcy, a former chairman of the ERCB (now EUB), has chaired a number of consultative committees and advised on energy projects internationally and is currently an independent consultant. The committee will establish procedures to ensure consultation with a wide public audience at locations throughout the province and will consider public views in its findings and recommendations to the EUB.
The EUB engaged in a similar process with an advisory committee in 1993, resulting in the "Report and Recommendations to the ERCB (now EUB) on Public Safety and Sour Gas" being presented to the Board in February 1994. Copies of this report are available from EUB Information Services.
Sour gas is natural gas that contains hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a toxic gas with a rotten-egg odour. Alberta has approximately 5000 producing sour gas wells, more than 200 sour gas processing plants, and over 10 000 km of sour gas pipelines. Sour gas is also present in crude oil, which is then referred to as sour crude oil. Sour gas is found all across the province of Alberta as well as in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
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This news release is also available on the EUB Web site at www.ercb.ca
For further information please contact
Marilyn Craig
Secretariat to the Provincial Advisory Committee
EUB Field Surveillance
Tel: (403) 297-3194
NR 2000-01
