De : lagran [mailto:] Envoyé : 15 avril 2008 20:23 À : MacDonald,Keith [CEAA] Cc : [email protected]; [email protected] Objet : reference #05-03-15620

I think is extremely import for you three people I have addressed, and who are signatories to the Notice Of Commencement to meet again for follow -up to what has happened at the NWA in Suffield!! Without Alberta's tribunals involvement, we are unable to justify this ongoing proceedings as a Joint Review.The Alberta EUB [ERCB] have no place at a federal environment review other than as a contributor of information, certainly not as the center of the decision process!

I would like to correct your statement that the project is subject to regulatory approvals of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board. This is only so should drilling be approved by the Minister of Defense after a favorable environment review report from the Federal Minister of Environment. Since the ERCB rules of practice makes it impossible to have standing to intervene unless one is directly affected, the idea of a short cut by holding a Joint Hearing never did have any merit!

Alberta Sustainable Resources, and Alberta Environment who rightly will not "play-along" with this silly underhanded way of handling a Federal Environmental Review, have left little choice but to retire the present EUB and their temporary board members. This became much more than a joint environmental review, it was taking "Roles and Responsibilities" of various parties information into account. The 1975 master operating agreement must be brought up to date, each party including those in Alberta will have to agree on their stated roles before a hearing of any kind will hold any merit!

Having the EUB-- ERCB running the show under their "Rules of Practice" may suit Gwyn Morgan and EnCana, however the ERCB are quite conspicuous as the only Alberta Tribunal left on board! Surely, Federal Entities can handle a environmental review without the very troubled ERCB's Rules Of Practice, and have the ERCB handle the question of need for the wells! Since there are no surface rights rental payments due the Armed Forces, and the royalty payments due Albertans are subsidized by the generous "Alberta Low Productivity well Allowance" the business sense for the public must be addressed prior to Environmental concerns! As it stands now, the Canadian public will be penalized to keep the NWA maintained by the Armed Forces, and Albertans will receive very little due to the royalty holiday allowed these wells!

It is indeed time to revisit what has went on with respect to this Suffield affair! Certainly it cannot be referred to as a Joint Review, and as such the present panel must be retired. The Roles and Responsibilities issue must be properly handled prior to naming a New Panel with Alberta Government's approval at Ministerial level. No more approvals by the chairman of the troubled ERCB!

Stewart Shields

NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT of an environmental assessment EnCana Corporation - Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield National Wildlife Area Natural Gas Infill Development Project

Suffield, Canadian Forces Base (AB)

October 31, 2005 (Update) -- National Defence is required to ensure that a comprehensive study is conducted commencing on October 26, 2005 in relation to the project: EnCana Corporation - Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield National Wildlife Area Natural Gas Infill Development Project.

EnCana Corporation is proposing to drill up to 1275 new shallow gas wells within the boundary of the Canadian Forces Base Suffield National Wildlife Area (NWA) over a three-year period, essentially doubling the existing 1154 gas wells installed over the past 30 years. The proposal would see the development of a maximum of 16 wells per 640-acre section. Associated with these wells will be pipelines to connect the wells to existing and new infrastructure for delivery to market using low-impact ploughing equipment and conventional ditching techniques. The infill drilling proposed under this Project is necessary to efficiently produce the sweet shallow gas reserves within the NWA, located by previous drilling programs. The Project is anticipated to fulfill all the infill development necessary in the NWA.

The Project for the purpose of an environmental assessment by DND includes the physical works and the activities associated with the preparation, construction, operation and decommissioning/abandonment of: the shallow gas wells, the pipelines, and supporting facilities and infrastructure.

The proponent has indicated that there will be no requirement for additional compressor stations, or roads associated with this project. In addition, as the Project involves the extraction of sweet gas, there will be no issues associated with hydrogen sulphide.

Once available, a detailed scope of project and a scope of assessment will be posted on this Web site.

The proposed project is captured under Part I, paragraph 2(c) of the Schedule to the Comprehensive Study List Regulations.

The Project is subject to regulatory approvals of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB). Although the Project does not require an environmental assessment under Alberta legislation, the AEUB and Alberta Sustainable Resources Development will participate in the federal environmental assessment under Appendix 3 of the Canada-Alberta Agreement for Environmental Assessment Cooperation.

CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area Background Information:

CFB Suffield is located in southeastern Alberta, approximately 50 km northwest of Medicine Hat and 250 km Southeast of Calgary. It is one of the largest military training areas in the western world at 2690 km2. In June 2003, the eastern boundary of the base was designated as a National Wildlife Area under the Wildlife Area Regulations of the Canada Wildlife Act. The NWA encompasses 458 km2 of unploughed prairie grassland blanketing rare landscapes of national significance including sand hills, ancient glacial coulees, and the riverbank and breaks along the South Saskatchewan River valley. It occurs within the Dry Mixed Grass Ecoregion or climatic zone that dominates the southeast corner of the province. For public safety reasons, there is no public access to the NWA.

The NWA is administered and managed, in cooperation with Environment Canada, by DND. As one of the few extant large blocks of unaltered Dry Mixed-grass Prairie, the NWA hosts over 1,100 catalogued species including 244 vertebrate, 462 plant, and 436 invertebrate species. Of this rich species assemblage, 14 are listed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as species at risk, and 78 species of animals and plants are listed in the Status of Alberta Wildlife 2000 as "at risk" or otherwise "sensitive" because of their declining abundance. Considering the ongoing threat to native prairie ecosystems and associated unique land forms, designating this nationally significant area as a NWA was accomplished to ensure critical habitat protection for species at risk and reverse habitat loss and fragmentation trends by increasing protected habitat outside National Parks.

Under section 5 of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, an environmental assessment is required in relation to this project because National Defence may issue a permit or license under section 4 of the Wildlife Area Regulations.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency will act as the Federal Environmental Assessment Coordinator for this environmental assessment.

For further information on this environmental assessment, please contact: Keith MacDonald Federal Environmental Assessment Coordinator Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Suite 100 Revillon Building 10237-104 Street North-West Edmonton AB T5J 1B1 Telephone: 780-422-7701 Fax: 780-422-6202 Email: [email protected]

Éric Trépanier Senior Environmental Advisor Land Force Command, National Defence 101 Colonel By Drive 18NT Ottawa ON K1A 0K2 Telephone: 613-945-0398 Fax: 613-945-0483 Email: [email protected]

Wes Richmond Base Environment Officer CFB Suffield P.O. Box 6000 CFB Suffield Base Headquarters Station Main Medicine Hat AB T1A 8K8 Telephone: 403-544-4588 Fax: 403-544-5052 Email: [email protected] and refer to CEAR reference number 05-03-15620