Concerned residents to appeal High River area biodigester approval

A proposal to build a controversial industrial plant that converts animal waste into natural gas is moving ahead and the decision to do so is leaving rural residents outside High River stinking mad.

Tidewater Renewables has been looking for approval for its $70-million biodigester project outside the town of High River, part of a plan that would see power exported to B.C.

The facility is planned to be built on land owned by Rimrock Renewables, which Tidewater has leased for the next 20 years.

However, residents living nearby the proposed site aren't happy with the location nor how quickly it's progressing.

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Benita Estes moved to the area seven years ago for a quieter atmosphere and a view of the mountains.

Now, with the proposed biodigester moving ahead, she fears her tranquility will come to an end.

"Our peace and quiet is going to come to an end, our health is going to be affected, perhaps our sanity," she told CTV News on Friday.

Estes says it's been a trying situation for her and others opposed to the facility being built close to their homes.

"It's been a year and a half that we've been trying to convince politicians and stuff that this doesn't belong here. There's industrial land zoned for these types of things in the foothills.

"That's where industrial things belong."

Another concerned resident, Laurene Mitchell, says her home is up on a ridge and will look down on the gas plant if it is completed.

"We bought this property to enjoy in retirement and we had an assessment done in January of this year," Mitchell said. "We also spoke to a realtor at the time and they said, 'if this goes through, your values will tank.'"

She's also concerned about the negative effects on her health and those of her loved ones.

"We had a meeting with Tidewater Renewables in our home in October of last year and the fellow admitted that the open lagoon will emit odours. So any kind of negation of the odours from the biodigester that would come in would possibly be added to by the smells from the lagoon.

"That is very concerning."

Rob Colcleugh, CEO and chairman of Tidewater Renewables, says while there are odour issues at similar biodigester plants, what his company is trying to achieve is "much different."

"We separate out the solids from the fluids before it goes into the ponds, we aerate the ponds and the ponds are not deep enough to actually go anaerobic," he said.

"The whole point is to keep the ponds from going anaerobic, which is the smell."

Estes says the company's promises of the gas plant's benefits ring hollow in her ears.

"They keep preaching about how they are going to get rid of the smell," she said. "They're still going to need to truck it from the feed lot to the biodigester.

"In the latest approval, they state they are going to store 5,000 tons of it right there and on top of that, they are going to have multiple windrows of the dry stuff that's going to blow in the wind."

While she says she isn't surprised the proposal received this latest approval, she is shocked it was approved in its entirety.

"The approval is 42 pages – it's very basic. Even the standards of submission and checking on things are five years," Estes said.

"Now that we have the approval, we know how to work forward – we're going to the appeals and we'll be fighting this right to the very end.

"It does not belong here."

Benita Estes said she bought her home seven years ago to enjoy some peace and quiet, but claims that would all be shattered if an industrial biodigester is built near her home.

Estes said she and other concerned residents have secured a lawyer to help in the legal battle and are crowdfunding to help cover the associated fees.

The Alberta government, in an email response to CTV News for comment on the biodigester's approval said it is aware of the issues some residents have raised with the proposed location of the plant.

"The department closely considered these concerns during this process. The department closely consulted with scientific experts and others in assessing the facility’s environmental impact on odour, as well as waste, soil, industrial wastewater, industrial run-off and groundwater," said Tom McMillan, director of communications with Alberta Environment.

He said the approval includes a number of strategies the company would need to abide by, which include policies to reduce odours and respond to odour-related concerns.

"Rimrock is required to implement an odour control plan using global best practices and to develop an odour management and response program before the facility starts operating. The company is also required to provide financial security for decommissioning and reclamation costs as part of the approval," McMillan said.

Now that the provincial approval has been granted, Tidewater will need to seek municipal approval with Foothills County before any construction can begin.