Community imput is key to decision making

By Leela Sharon Aheer Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

Hello Chestermere-Strathmore readers! Area residents may be familiar with EPCOR; it has been the trusted operator of the Strathmore wastewater treatment plant for over 20 years. EPCOR is in the process of designing its proposed Ardenode RNG facility to be located in Wheatland County. 

EPCOR, like many businesses and operators, believes community input is an important part of its decision-making and design process. The proposed project differs from other projects developed or proposed in the area. The facility is not a compost facility nor a fertilizer production plant and the process does not involve burning manure or organics; rather, it uses anaerobic digestion, a proven technology that is widely used across the world in municipal, agricultural and agri-food sectors to process organic materials. EPCOR is committed to conducting its business and operations safely and responsibly. Environmental stewardship, public health and community well-being are at the heart of its mission to provide clean water and safe, reliable energy. EPCOR understands the issues that area residents have faced in the past with some industrial facilities and they want to be transparent about the project, the potential impacts and planned mitigations. EPCOR held a project open house on Aug. 23 at the Nightingale Community Hall as part of its engagement efforts. If you did not have a chance to attend, you can still provide your feedback as the open house materials, project information and project questionnaire are available virtually on EPCOR’s Project webpage epcor.com/ArdenodeRNG until Sept. 7. 

Mayor Fule and I are happy to announce a new funding collaboration where the Government of Alberta has approved funding, up to 50 per cent to a maximum of $296,805, for the eligible cost of upgrades to the intersection of Lakeside Boulevard and Archie Klaiber Trail. This was granted through the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP), which works to reinforce the Government of Alberta’s commitment to improving local transportation infrastructure as well as stimulating the economy in our constituency. 

Finally, I want to share an article by David Yager: Is Oilfield Services the World’s Largest Misunderstood Industry? (Aug. 17, EnergyNow Media – https://energynow.ca/2022/08/david-yager-is-oilfield-services-the-worlds-largest-misunderstood-industry/)

The article shines a very important light on Oil Field Services (OFS), the many jobs necessary for this sector’s function and the damage that bad policy has on these critical sectors. There are thousands of jobs at stake, and as quoted from the article:

“But climate-driven employment transition policies like the Just Transition are Just Insanity without some basic understanding of how the oil business works.

“We can and must do better, and it begins with better data.

“And we should start right here in Alberta.”

As always, we love to hear from you.

(Leela Sharon Aheer is the MLA Elect for Chestermere-Strathmore)