Twenty-four hour hauling is preventing a number of MD of Bonnyville residents from getting some shut-eye, and they want something done about it.
Dozens of property owners scattered throughout the municipality have signed a petition asking the MD of Bonnyville to do something about the Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL) trucks driving along their roads at all hours of the night.
Pat from La Corey (who requested her last name not be used) said she's often woken up by oil haulers going up and down their range road.
“We used to have a road ban on this particular road because there was a designated truck route north of us. They do have designated routes… We aren’t used to having all of this commotion,” she told the Nouvelle.
Pat continued to explain that 24-hour hauling wasn't an issue in the past, in fact, prior to CNRL purchasing Devon Energy, trucks weren't frequenting the roads past 8 p.m. at all.
“Devon Energy, before they sold to CNRL, didn’t truck 24-hours… We don’t understand why (CNRL) have to,” expressed Lyndon Kalinski, another resident of the La Corey area. “It’s not a problem for me personally, but it sucks for elderly people… It’s not so bad if big trucks are on the highway, but they’re going on back roads… and it’s dangerous.”
He added, “Those trucks can haul all-day long and not have to haul at night. I don’t really know why they’re hauling at night.”
As a truck driver himself, Kalinski knows the designated routes within the MD and also understands that even if CNRL needed to haul 24-hours a day, there are ways of keeping the noise down.
The sound isn't residents' only concern, however. They've also expressed their frustrations over the damage constant truck traffic is causing to their roads.
“When you have big trucks going up and down the road that we live on, the road gets broken up and the MD has to fix it,” Pat exclaimed.
Crane Lake resident Marsha Hayward felt the upkeep of the road should be up to the companies causing the damage.
“I haven’t seen anything within the MD of Bonnyville where the powers that be allowed them to run these types of vehicles along these roads and destroy them and create the noise without first consulting with taxpayers.”
According to Hayward, the CNRL oil site located southwest of her property emits a "constant and disturbing" hum.
“The continuous noise in the background is highly audible, and that’s a real problem,” she continued. “It wakes you up and they shouldn’t be allowed to do this."
MD of Bonnyville Reeve Greg Sawchuk said this was a concern that "was starting to brew, and it's good that (the property owners) did put it out in a list of folks. It allowed council to perhaps be a little more proactive on it."
In order to address their residents' frustrations, the municipality has reached out to CNRL as a way of brainstorming possible solutions. What those will look like have yet to be ironed out.
“The MD constantly works with oil companies in regards to road use and management. In this case, we’re looking to alleviate the concerns of our citizens while not affecting the oil company’s production or perhaps deterring any future investment in our region,” stated Sawchuk. “It’s a balance always when working with industry, and we’re in talks with CNRL about how we’re going to make this work."
Those who signed the petition are suggesting placing a truck traffic ban on certain roads, creating a curfew on hauling, or prohibiting the use of engine breaks in certain areas.
“They have to fix the roads, they have to agree to put in a high-grade road that’s fully paved that won’t degrade,” suggested Hayward.
Kalinski and Pat would prefer to see specified hauling hours.
“I would just rather have them haul their oil during the day,” Kalinski said.
“Stick to the truck routes, and if it’s necessary to use our road keep it to during the day instead of all night,” added Pat.
Hayward also recommended better public consultation before making any significant changes to hauling hours or routes, which she felt was lacking.
“That’s what annoys me the most, is I was completely unaware. I don’t remember seeing or reading anything about it,” she expressed.
In a statement to the Nouvelle, Julie Woo of CNRL public affairs, said "While keeping safety paramount, Canadian Natural is continually optimizing trucking routes and schedules as part of being more effective and efficient across our heavy oil operations, including the assets acquired in the Bonnyville region during 2019. Canadian Natural recognizes that there are local concerns related to changes in certain trucking routes and schedules. We're committed to working together with community members to understand their concerns and minimize the impact of these changes as best possible. We're also working together with the MD of Bonnyville on a regular basis to ensure our trucking routes are consistent with the municipality’s designated truck routes where applicable."
She continued, "Public safety is important to Canadian Natural. There are specific circumstances where restricting truck traffic to daytime hours is necessary. That said, Canadian Natural believes that 24-hour trucking is a safer practice as it spreads truck traffic over a 24-hour period on the roads, reducing the volume of traffic on the roads during daytime hours when the public and school bus travel is more prominent."
