Provincial authorities still determining health risks from local abandoned wells
The verdict is still out on whether there are any long term health risks from methane leaks in the Gas City.
According to a draft report from the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) acquired by the Tyee.com and shared with CHAT News, multiple abandoned wells in the city have been leaking methane at an alarming rate, well over thresholds established by Alberta Health for safe indoor gas levels.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) maximum recommended safe methane concentration for workers during an 8-hour period is 1,000 parts per million (ppm)..
Information from the provincial government outlines that methane is potentially explosive at 50,000 to 150,000 ppm, and causes asphyxiation at 500,000 per million.