A high number of complaints during the recent heatwave have led the province’s feedlot regulator to step up odour monitoring efforts in High River.
The Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) said on Aug. 1 it received 404 alleged odour complaints related to Rimrock Feeders during the month of July.
In response, the NRCB has stepped up inspections by conducting in-person, 24-hour monitoring over several days in High River, the agency said in a July 25 bulletin on its webpage.
The complaints came from residents in High River, Foothills County and Okotoks, but information about how many households lodged the complaints was not readily available, the NRCB said.
The regulator said it is looking at ways the feedlot six kilometres west of High River can alter management practices and is working with feedlot operators to lower levels in catch basins that are higher than normal after spring rains.
Next steps include evaluating emissions at specific odour sources within the feedlot, the NRCB said.
July’s complaint numbers are up significantly from June, when 154 feedlot-related complaints were received, but they are comparable to May, when the regulator took 401 complaints.
