Residents concerned with the effect cloud seeding has on crops, livestock and the environment say it's time the government takes responsibility.But no one at the provincial or federal level seems to know much about it.ìIt's about time we start talking about this,î said Ben Heuven of the Sundre area, who's lived in the area for 50 years.Heuven, incorrectly identified in last week's Gazette as Hoefer, collected hail at Moose Mountain during the 1970s and '80s when the province funded a cloud-seeding project. Silver iodide was shot into storm clouds to try to minimize hail size and the resulting damage on crops. The project was abandoned in 1985 due to insufficient results and controversy surrounding the project.Cloud seeding started up again in 1996 by private insurance companies looking for a way to reduce property damage.Last week Alberta Environment officials washed their hands of any responsibility, saying that if any monitoring of the activity is done it would be at the federal level and that people who call with concerns are told to contact Environment Canada.Environment Canada hasn't done active research in cloud seeding and ìis not aware of any evidence that suggests that this process is a threat to safety,î wrote Henry Lau, spokesperson for Environment Canada in an e-mail. He said any citizens who have concerns should contact the company that conducts cloud seeding.But when contacted by the Gazette last week, Terry Krauss of Alberta Severe Weather Management Society said there's nothing to be concerned about and that only a small amount of chemicals are used.However, assurances from Krauss and the government that there are no health or safety concerns aren't convincing everyone.ìSomebody has to listen,î said Heuven, who's replaced his roof twice in the last three years.ìThey paid us about $13,000 for the roof (in 2009) Ö and just about $10,000 again this year. Look at the amount of insurance the company pays on roofs,î said Heuven, who maintains that tampering with weather isn't right. He believes the suppression builds up until it blows out of control.MP Blake Richards said he hasn't received many complaints about cloud seeding but is encouraging people with concerns to contact his office.ìFrom the amount of research I have been able to do there doesn't appear to be any safety concerns,î Richards said, adding that he's still trying to figure out who is responsible for regulating weather modification.ìMy understanding would have been it would be the province but I am looking into that.îThe Weather Modification Information Act requires any person engaged in weather modification activities in Canada to inform an administrator ñ but who that is hasn't been pinpointed by Alberta Agriculture, Alberta Environment, Environment Canada, the premier's office or Richards.ìPotatoes need lightning to grow. Crops need lightning to grow and if we deny that in the sky we're doing a lot more damage than people think,î Heuven said.ìI'm not an expert but I'm a farmer and a couple more months and I'll be 80 so I have some experience.î
