Meeting will update Ontario gas well owners

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

by SUSAN MANN

The Haldimand Federation of Agriculture is hosting an information meeting so owners of private gas wells can seek clarification on upcoming government regulations.

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is recommending that all existing private gas wells in the province be licensed. The proposal was posted to the Ontario government’s Environmental Bill of Rights Registry on April 26. The comment period was initially slated to close June 10 but has been extended to July 8.

Wayne Nyomtato, president of the Haldimand federation, says Pat Mousseau, secretary of the Private Natural Gas Well Association, and Jennifer Dunlap, senior adviser with the natural resources ministry, will be speaking at the meeting being held June 29 at the Agriculture Centre on Kohler Road. It starts at 7 p.m.

One of the concerns people have with the proposal is that if the gas well you are using is not actually on your property it would not meet the ministry’s definition of a private gas well even though there may be long standing legal agreements in place. Minimum distances will also be enforced. The gas well must be at least 30 metres from a house, at least 10 metres from a road allowance and at least 30 metres from a property line.

But Nyomtato says they’re hoping existing wells will be grandfathered and there will be some flexibility in the regulations. They’re hoping the ministry won’t make people cap their wells if they don’t meet minimum distance regulations provided human and environmental health isn’t jeopardized.

Nyomtato says currently there aren’t any proposals by the ministry to charge fees for gas well licenses. But he says one of his private concerns is fees may be introduced in the future.

Most of the private gas wells are located in Haldimand County, he says, noting there are also some in Norfolk, Niagara, Brant and Hamilton-Wentworth. There are at least 1,000 private gas wells and most aren’t registered or licensed.  BF