Panel reviewing gas plant development plan

Okotoks Western Wheel
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Vol 33 No 3

by John Barlow
Editor

Results of a public survey in regards to the future of the Turner Valley gas plant were favourable, said the gas plant committee chairman.
Last Wednesday the Turner Valley Gas Plant Resolution Advisory Panel met in Turner Valley to review the survey results and discuss the next step in the process of deciding the future of the condemned facility.
Jim Dilay, chairman of the panel, said the results of the survey have not yet been made public, but he did say the committee was pleased with the information gained from the process.
The survey was circulated to the public at the panel’s meeting in June.
“In general, the results were very favourable,” he said.
“There were some concerns, but we feel we can address those concerns along the way.”
The gas plant committee was struck in early 2006 with a two-year mandate to report back to the to the Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture on the future of the historic site.
With representation from local communities and stakeholders, the panel’s mandate includes reviewing the reclamation work, examining tests and reports, and undertaking stakeholder consultation.
Dilay said the process is imperative as the Turner Valley gas plant is historically significant as the earliest and best surviving example of an operating gas plant in Canada. In 1988, the Alberta government acquired the site and it was designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1989. The plant became a National Historic Site in 1995.
However, the site was closed four years ago due to contamination concerns on site and pollution seeping into the nearby Sheep River.
Over the past several years the provincial government has undertaken a massive reclamation project which included an on-site clean-up, diverting the Sheep River and building a containment area to keep any potential pollutants from seeping into the river.
The remediation work has since been completed and at its meeting last Wednesday the panel reviewed the risk assessment report.
Foothills MD Coun. Ron Laycraft, a member of the panel, said the group must now review the development plan and the public survey and make a recommendation to the province on the future of the facility.
“We have to recommend to the province and the federal government if this can be a heritage site,” said Laycraft. “The remediation is complete, now the board has to decide what the government will do with it, what can go on the site.”
Laycraft said the panel will decide whether or not they support the development plan or not or recommend changes.
The 50-page development plan (available on the panel’s website www.tprc.gov.ab.ca/tvgp) outlines strategies on preservation, remediation, site development, tourism and site operations.
To re-open the facility as an interpretive centre the development plan shows a two-phase process.
The first phase includes the development of an interim visitor’s centre and upgrading of utilities such as water, sewer and the implementation of an effective security system.
It also includes long-term cleaning and stabilization of all structures and equipment on site to prevent further deteriorization of the buildings and equipment.
The cost for Phase 1 is estimated at $2.5 million.
Phase 2 of the process includes the development of the plant’s interpretive infrastructure through “expansion of the site entry and interpretive facilities.”
Implementation of Phase 2 will be done on a priority basis starting with the compressor and scrubbing plants as funds become available.
On completion of Phase 2 only the compressor building, the scrubbing plant and lunch room will be open to visitor access. However, in the future additional work could be done if demand and funding warrants further development.
Phase 2 would cost $4.5 million meaning to re-open the facility as an historic interpretive centre could cost $6.9 million.
The plan states the site will cost $350,000 per year to operate with two full-time and three part-time seasonal staff members.
All of this is contingent on the remediation on site and the recommendations of the panel.
Dilay said the panel is pleased with the progress to date and he is hopeful the gas plant will become a significant tourist attraction for Turner Valley.
“I think the panel believes having the gas plant as an historical interpretive centre is very much an option given the plant’s status as being one of the earliest oil and gas processing facilities,” said Dilay.