Coal-bed permits sought

British Petroleum has formally applied for an exploration permit for coal-bed methane gas in the Flathead and Elk River drainages of southeastern British Columbia, a provincial liaison to the Flathead Basin Commission said Wednesday.

And a representative for Gov. Brian Schweitzer announced that the administration intends to organize a Montana-British Columbia Symposium late this year as part of an effort to revive discussions over the future of the transboundary Flathead drainage.

Kathy Eichenberger, representing the B.C. Ministry of Environment, said BP has applied for an exploratory permit. She subsequently was peppered with questions at a basin commission meeting in Somers.

Erin Sexton, a researcher at the University of Montana's Flathead Biological Station, asked about a provincial policy that requires methane projects to inject vast amounts of water produced by wells back into the ground. One company, StormCat Energy, has an active methane pilot project in the Elk River Basin where wastewater is not being reinjected.

Eichenberger explained that the pilot project was approved before the policy was enacted.

Sexton asked whether BP will be required to demonstrate that it can reinject wastewater before it receives an exploratory permit.

Sexton and other officials in Montana believe that reinjection may not be feasible in the broad and porous floodplains in the Canadian Flathead, because injected water is likely to rapidly return to the surface.

Eichenberger said British Petroleum will be required to reinject wastewater.

"My take is that they don't have to demonstrate they can reinject before they get their permit, which is how I think it will play out on the ground," Sexton said.

Eichenberg also said that exploratory drilling likely won't start this year, but she was unsure if road building would get under way to reach exploration sites.

British Petroleum initially announced plans to develop about a dozen drilling sites, but it is still unclear how many would be in the Elk River drainage and how many would be in the Canadian headwaters of the Flathead basin.

Even exploration is of concern to the Flathead Basin Commission, a panel made up of state, federal, tribal and citizen members.

The commission was advised that British Petroleum has invited members to attend an upcoming meeting with company officials in Calgary.

"I think it's an opportunity to convey the seriousness of your concerns to them," Eichenberger said.

After some discussion, the commission agreed to send a delegation to Calgary.

Mike Volesky, natural resources policy adviser to Schweitzer, announced the transboundary symposium would be part of an effort to jump-start diplomatic relations between the state and the province.

Formal communications have waned since the start of the year. The problem: disagreement over just how comprehensive environmental assessments for the project areas should be, and philosophically different views on the purpose of environmental assessments.

"There's certainly been a lull in the communication between B.C. and Montana, but it's not an issue that's going to go away," Volesky said.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com