EDMONTON — Alberta’s environment minister is downplaying the health risks of a sour gas well near the property of convicted oilpatch bomber Wiebo Ludwig.
Ludwig staged a protest near his northwestern Alberta home on Sunday after Canadian Superior Energy Inc. began testing a new sour gas well.
Ludwig said children and pregnant women were forced to leave the area because they could smell traces of sour gas.
Environment Minister Rob Renner said there is nothing to be alarmed about, but also said he’s not aware of any specific testing of the well that Ludwig is protesting.
“We have an ongoing process for air monitoring and all indicators are that this is not an unusual situation,” Renner said.
“There are literally hundreds of sour gas wells that are brought on stream across the province in any given year and this one’s no different.”
Ludwig was recently questioned by RCMP about a series of pipeline bombings just over the Alberta boundary in B.C. Three energy firms are seeking a peace bond to keep him away from their properties.
He said that he’s not involved in the bombings and does not personally know anybody who is.
A decade ago, Ludwig served two-thirds of a 28-month jail sentence after being convicted of bombing sour gas wells in Alberta.
About 60 people turned out Sunday to protest the testing on a new sour gas well about two kilometres from Ludwig’s Trickle Creek farm.
Canadian Superior issued a notice earlier this month of the planned test and that hydrogen sulphide gas would be burned and not flared into the atmosphere.
Ludwig put his large extended family on alert once the tests began.
“We (had) a vehicle standing by with some diving tanks so we had some fresh air,” he said.
Ludwig, who has a history of acrimony with the oil and gas industry, said he’s heard the well may not be productive enough to make it worthwhile for the company.