Recurring Human Health Complaints: Didsbury Area Technical Information Synthesis August 2015 Contact: Red Deer Field Centre Field Centre, Alberta Stakeholder Relations E-mail : [email protected] Phone: 1-855-297-8311 (Customer Contact Centre) Prepared by Dr. Monique Dubé (chief environmental scientist), Jennifer Lutz (director of regional engagement, Alberta Stakeholder Engagement), Rhonda King (practice lead of community relations, Alberta Stakeholder Engagement), Tyler Callicott (manager, Enforcement and Surveillance, Red Deer), Neil Berry (regional coordinator, Enforcement and Surveillance, Red Deer), Michael Brown (technical advisor, Industry Operations) The information contained herein was prepared by the AER for the AER, the resident referred to in the document, and Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services. The AER does not warrant or represent that the information is suitable for use by any other person and it assumes no responsibility or liability for other persons accessing or relying on the information in any way. Alberta Energy Regulator Recurring Human Health Complaints: Didsbury Area—Technical Information Synthesis August 2015 Published by Alberta Energy Regulator Suite 1000, 250 – 5 Street SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 0R4 Telephone: 403-297-8311 Inquiries (toll free): 1-855-297-8311 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.aer.ca Alberta Energy Regulator Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... iii 1 Background ............................................................................................................................................. 1 2 Primary Concern ..................................................................................................................................... 1 3 Description of Area ................................................................................................................................. 2 4 Complaint and Investigation History ....................................................................................................... 4 5 Summary of Inspections that Found Noncompliances ........................................................................... 6 5.1 Year 2012 ..................................................................................................................................... 6 5.2 Year 2013 ..................................................................................................................................... 7 5.3 Year 2014 ..................................................................................................................................... 8 6 Industry Performance Monitoring ........................................................................................................... 8 7 Ambient Environmental Monitoring......................................................................................................... 9 7.1 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring ..................................................................................................... 9 7.2 Water Well Monitoring .................................................................................................................. 9 8 Provincial Context ................................................................................................................................. 11 9 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 12 Appendix 1 Figures.................................................................................................................................. 13 Appendix 2 Glossary .............................................................................................................................. 23 Appendix 3 Complaint and Response History ........................................................................................ 24 Appendix 4 Results of Water Chemistry Analysis .................................................................................. 34 Appendix 5 ALS Environmental Analytical Report ................................................................................. 59 Appendix 6 Summary of Findings: Didsbury Area Water Concern ........................................................ 84 Appendix 7 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring ............................................................................................ 91 Recurring Human Health Complaints: Didsbury Area—Technical Information Synthesis i ii Recurring Human Health Complaints: Didsbury Area—Technical Information Synthesis Alberta Energy Regulator Executive Summary The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has developed a new process for handling recurring multiyear stakeholder complaints involving human health concerns. Once the process is triggered, the AER assesses and re-evaluates recurrent complaints, identifies any technical gaps and risks, and determines potential AER actions. This new process for recurring human health complaints also supports coordination across different government agencies. As part of this new process, the AER has completed a technical assessment of the recurring complaints from a resident in the Didsbury area. The assessment provides a detailed look at the complaints received by the AER, the AER’s actions, area operator performance, and monitoring results. There are two producing gas wells within 500 metres of the complainant’s residence and both are tied in to a pipeline. Under normal operating conditions, routine flaring and venting does not occur. From 2012 to 2014, the AER conducted 28 inspections based on seven complaints. Eight noncompliances were found during these inspections. Water well testing conducted under the jurisdiction of Alberta Environment and Parks (EP) shows all parameters tested are within the maximum acceptable concentrations of the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (Health Canada, 2014). Operators are required to measure flare and vent volumes to determine conservation efficiency as it relates to effective and efficient use of the resource. Chemical analysis of air quality is not typically required unless triggered by hydrogen sulphide concentrations. Monitoring of ambient air quality at the resident’s location by the Parkland Airshed Management Zone showed no exceedances of Alberta ambient air quality objectives. Based on its technical assessment, the low level of development activity in the area, and the absence of any exceedances of air quality objectives and water quality guidelines by monitored parameters, the AER has concluded that there is not a sufficient technical basis to warrant further study at this location at this time. The AER has also concluded, however, that there is a need for more information about air emissions generated during flaring in the initial stages of new development, specifically during flowback after hydraulic fracturing. The Didsbury area currently does not provide a sufficient sample size for a larger study of flaring emissions during flowback. The AER is working with Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services, and EP regarding a larger study in an area of Alberta better suited to examining flaring emissions during hydraulic fracturing flowback. The resident in Didsbury area with the recurrent complaints will be invited to participate in the study. Recurring Human Health Complaints: Didsbury Area—Technical Information Synthesis iii Alberta Energy Regulator iv Recurring Human Health Complaints: Didsbury Area—Technical Information Synthesis Alberta Energy Regulator 1 Background The Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER’s) mandate is to ensure the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of Alberta’s hydrocarbon resources over their entire life cycle. Ensuring that resource development is done in safe and environmentally responsible ways may suggest that the AER plays a leading role in matters concerning human health. Although the AER holds strong regard for human health concerns that are related to resource development, the AER is not the human health regulator in the province of Alberta: Alberta Health (AH) and Alberta Health Services (AHS) are Alberta’s human health regulators. The AER supports those organizations when questions arise about the impact of energy resource development on individuals, or on environmental receptors to which individuals are exposed. If the AER or Alberta’s human health regulators suspect that a resource development activity or facility is contributing to environmental conditions that affect human health, the AER collaborates with the health agencies to determine if the activity or facility is a source of the problem. The three organizations have separate but complementary mandates and expertise: the AER is the expert on responsible energy resource development and AH and AHS are the human health experts. If the resource development is confirmed as a source of or contributor to human health effects, the AER may use its regulatory authority to ensure the resource developer takes action to eliminate the risk to humans. This document contains the AER’s assessment of recurring complaints from a Didsbury area resident about oil and gas activity. Recurrent complaints are characterized as those arising from multiple complainants, over multiple years and are often complex involving multiple government agencies. The AER has recognized that recurrent