Alberta’s feedlot regulator is still trying to pinpoint the source of offensive smells coming from a confined-feeding operation near High River.
Natural Resource Conservation Board compliance manager Kevin Seward said the regulator has gathered data from inside and outside of Rimrock Feeders, a feedlot five kilometres west of High River in Foothills County.
“I think we’re close,” Seward said. “We've got all our data, we've got to analyze it and kind of see where we want to focus on.”
The NRCB started investigating odours at Rimrock in 2022, when enough complaints were made for the regulator to send inspectors to the site.
The following year, the NRCB said it found that the feedlot isn’t the only source of offensive odours, and Seward reiterated that in a recent interview with the Western Wheel.
“Rimrock is producing odours,” he said. “I wouldn’t say they’re the sole source, but maybe one of the major sources."
High River resident Julia Venton said she doesn’t complain to the NRCB often and that she is certain the smells in question come from the feedlot.
She points to concrete rolled pens that were installed when Rimrock took over the operation.
“I think that’s the biggest bugbear,” she said. “Once they concreted the pens, nothing sinks in the ground.”
People from High River, Foothills County and Okotoks made over 400 odour complaints in July.
Rimrock began operating the feedlot in 2019, taking it over from Western Feeders.
Venton said when the feedlot was operated by Western, there was a smell in fall and spring, but nothing like what she experiences now.
Seward said the concrete pens are one of the areas the NRCB is looking at, but added that other feedlots that have installed them haven't seen a similar increase in odour complaints.
“The only thing that's really changed at that feedlot is the installation of roller compacted concrete in the pens,” he said.
Carrie Derish, another High River resident, understands there will be smells, but said when she can’t open windows or has health issues, there’s a problem.
Derish said that if the NRCB can’t pinpoint the odour source, and the feedlot is found to be operating properly, the number of cattle should be reduced.
Seward said complaints are directed to other feedlots in Alberta, but not to the level of those aimed at Rimrock.
