Twenty people attended the open house hosted by Mountain View County Div. 5 councillor Robert Orr at the James River Hall on Oct. 23.The 90-minute information session is one of seven such public meetings being held by MVC councillors to gather public input and comments.Much of the conversation at the Oct. 23 meeting focused on concerns with oilfield truck traffic, and in particular its impact on country roads in the Sundre-area division.Wayne and Ila Johnston, who live north of Sundre, told Orr that oilfield truck traffic routinely causes dust and noise concerns near their home.As well, the Johnstons said the traffic is very hard on the area roads.Wayne Johnston said the oil companies themselves should be paying for repairs and maintenance of the roads.He also said he believes water haul trucks being used by oil companies in the area are too heavy for the roads.Ila Johnston said dust created by oilfield traffic poses a health risk to persons with breathing problems.Orr said the concerns about heavy truck traffic, including by oil companies, logging and agriculture, need to be addressed and that the county is working on solutions.“That's a hot topic right now,” said Orr. “Everybody is driving bigger trucks today. Once we get off the provincial roads, which can handle that traffic, we have the logging and the oil and the agriculture traffic getting into those smaller county road areas. Those roads have to be upgraded. We are working on a roads master plan for the county.”The issue of gravel pits was also brought up during the meeting, with division resident Murray Griffin saying there are many people opposed to expansion of operations in the Sundre area.“We don't need an asphalt plant in the Sundre valley,” said Griffin. “We've got moonscape already. We've got to put a stop to it. We have over a hundred names on a petition opposed to this proposed gravel pit and asphalt plant (immediately west of Sundre).“Don't they get it, we don't want a gravel pit or an asphalt plant. We are in a big housing area there.”Coun. Orr said the county is examining the issues surrounding gravel pits in the division and across the municipality.Several of those in attendance also raised concerns with the amount of water being used in oilfield operations in the area, and specifically water used in fracking operations.MVC Division 6 councillor Paddy Munro, who attended Orr's meeting, told the gathering that residents should be encouraged to bring those water use concerns to the attention of the provincial government.Following Munro's comments, Orr said, “This is a huge issue, the amount of water being used.”County CAO Tony Marten, who also attended the Oct. 23 meeting, said the county intends to bring the issue of oilfield road traffic and water use to the attention of the province's environment minister at an upcoming meeting.
