Lots of money!

[cowman]

The coalbed and shallow gas wells are in full swing in central Alberta!
The companies have allayed the fears of a lot of people with open houses and information?
The fact is they have addressed quite a few of the problems associated with this developement and continue to do so? One company has agreed to try to implement a grid system for pipelines and the others are seriously considering it! Drilling numerous wells from one pad is also in the works.
I know a few people who have been literally saved by getting a few leases? Let them survive another year?
I know it sure has been good for our bottom line!

[farmers_son]

Is there still concern about subsurface water being lost?

[farmers_son]

farmers_son that has been a major concern in this area and a group was formed to put pressure on the EUB to ensure that the regs were stringent enough to provide assuranc that water would not be negatively affected by this exploration.

[cowman]

There still is some concern but the companies have done their best to allay those fears. The fact is there has always been shallow gas and it has always been taken if economically feasible? A conventional shallow gas well is no deeper than a coalbed well.
The opponents and naysayers claim the coal seam fractures different than rock, but from what I can understand how either one fractures cannot be predicted with much accuracy.
The EUB is making at least a token effort to address some of the landowners concerns...but we should never forget they are there to insure that well gets drilled...no matter what!

[cakadu]

The mere fact that they cannot predict how the layers will fracture is more than cause for concern. You can't unring the bell and once the damage is done, it's done. Yes, the companies have done what they can, but do they really know for sure?

What sort of attention should we be paying to those folks in the US, with the voice of having experienced problems, who have tried to warn others about the potential drawbacks? If they went through it, what is to prevent us from going through some of those situations?

All the money in the world will not buy what we are so gladly and indelibly leaving a footprint on now - namely the environment and some of those things that we are so well known for i.e. pristine landscapes, abundant wildlife, fresh water etc. Mom always used to say that "money isn't everything" and boy was she ever right.