Oil and gas producers not great neighbors, says local author

Local author and oil and gas industry critic Andrew Nikiforuk talked to a standing- room-only crowd Feb. 20 at the Okotoks Public Library.
Nikiforuk was in town to promote his new book, Saboteurs: Wiebo Ludwig's War Against Big Oil and to talk to area residents about the dangers of being neighbors to the oil and gas industry.
One of the first things he made very clear was where he stood in relation to Ludwig.
'I certainly do not admire Wiebo Ludwig,' he said.
Nikiforuk's presentation started with him outlining what his book was about.
'It's a story about a fossil fuel economy,' he said, explaining that it's also a story about one of the largest RCMP investigations ever, it's about the largest incident of Eco-terrorism on the continent and it's about the murder of two people and of countless death.
Nikiforuk used the analogy of the Lexus, oil and gas and the olive tree, Ludwig, to help people visualize what happened in Northern Alberta.
'Fundamentally the story is about the Lexus calling on the olive tree,' said Nikiforuk.
He then proceeded to explain to the audience what exactly the impact of the oil and gas industry has been to Alberta. Using a wide array of facts, figures and maps, Nikiforuk solicited more than one collective gasp from the rapt audience.
He explained, briefly, what the rights of rural landowners are when it comes to land rights and revenue from oil and gas – in Alberta, land owners are entitled to only 20 per cent of the total revenue generated by a well on their land.
Another issue that was touched on was fragmentation of the landscape. In Alberta there are over 100,000 wells and over 300,000 kilometres of pipeline. If it were possible to put all of the land effected by oil and gas into one region, it would cover half of the total area of Wood Buffalo National Park. Nikiforuk estimates that there is enough seismic cable in the province to run from the earth to the moon four times.
Health issues surrounding the industry was the hottest topic of the evening. Nikiforuk demonstrated the correlation between the industry and the rise of asthma. In overlaying maps, he showed the footprint of pipelines and wells and the incidences of asthma – the maps looked eerily similar.
Another shocking revelation was the fact that Turner Valley has the highest rate of MS in the world, 400 cases per 100,000 people.
The dangers of sour gas were also discussed.
'Five parts-per-million can effect someone,' said Nikiforuk continuing, 'It kills in very small amounts and it targets the brain and the lungs.'
In the past 30 years, 35 oil and gas workers have died as a result of their occupation.
In this time of drought, water use was also a hot topic. According to Nikiforuk, the oil and gas industry used 45 billion gallons of water in 1990, enough to supply Red Deer with water for 20 years. By 2010, Nikiforuk estimates that water use could skyrocket to 200 billion gallons. Much of the water used is fresh water.
With the audience up to speed with what is happening in their own backyard, Nikiforuk began to describe Ludwig and the events that thrust him into the media spotlight.
'He is a man of Extreme opinion and strong conviction,' he said.
A well drilled on the Ludwig property leaked sour gas, causing the family to evacuate their house and ultimately led to a woman on the farm losing an unborn child. This took Ludwig to the doorstep of the oil company where he announced, 'Buy me out or it's war.' The next day there was booby-traps on the roads leading to wells and the fight was on.
The violence escalated and peaked in 1998 with a bombing and the shooting of a 16-year-old girl.
In the three years that it took Nikiforuk to write the book, he met with Ludwig many times, but one time in particular left him feeling unsure.
'I went to the ranch right after the shooting and saw my peer's performance and I saw Wiebo Ludwig's performance, and questioned my book,'
When he was done writing the book, he sent a copy to Ludwig who responded with a scathing, six-page letter denouncing what was written essentially as blasphemy.
'It was the worst letter I've ever read,' laughed Nikiforuk.
Through the countless hours of research and investigation, Nikiforuk has come up with his own opinions on what happened and what could have been done in order to prevent what happened, and quite possibly, may happen again.
'We know what the future will bring, intensive development throughout rural Alberta in an attempt to get at those last pools of oil and gas. And if regulations don't change, it's going to result in violence again,' said Nikiforuk.
Nikiforuk said the Alberta government is not willing to change much in the industry.
'It doesn't want to rock the boat. It's comfortable with what it is earning from oil and gas,' he said, also blaming the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB) for failing to take action.
'The AEUB hasn't been as proactive as it could have been,' he continued, 'the AEUB has failed to look at cumulative effects on a community.'
He calls for the industry to work on creating cleaner methods and practices and for people in rural areas to educate themselves.
'The momentum for change is there and it's strong,' concluded Nikiforuk.

By Shawn Britton
Intern reporter
From, the OKOTOKS WESTERN WHEEL, March 5, 2003