A Go Fund Me page has been set up to fight the bio-digester planned west of High River

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help with legal fees incurred while battling a bio-digester planned west of High River.

Benita Estes lives near the feedlot and says people need to be aware of what's happening in the area.

"About mid-July we received a letter in our gate, it was a notice for a permit application for basically the Rimrock renewable bio-digester plant that they want to put out here on these 80 to 100 acres of Rimrock Feeders." she says. "Through the process there were nine letters of concern that were sent into Alberta Environment and Parks regarding this facility being so close to residents. For those who don't know it's basically a methane gas facility that will be using the manure that Rimrock Feeders has and also they'll be trucking in 60,000 to 80,000 tonnes of organic materials from the Calgary area."

Estes believes a facility like this shouldn't go on agricultural land but in an industrial area but wonders if it should even be allowed there with what she says is a planned 24-acre open lagoon.

She pointed out that the Natural Resources Conservation Board has said the bad smell this summer from the feedlot was because the lagoon they have now had never been cleaned out and wonders if that's the case why wouldn't a 24-acre lagoon stink that has manure, fat, oil, grease, food processing residue and fish all being hauled in from Calgary.

Esters is also concerned the permit application asks for approval for 100,000 tonnes of manure.

"Rimrock Feeders, at this present time, is only allowed to produce 80,000 tonnes so are they planning on expanding the feedlot or are they planning on hauling in manure from other feedlots?"

She also questions the company's efforts to paint it as a 'green' facility when trucks will be going in and out, one an hour all day long.

Alberta Environment and Parks is now in the technical phase of its permitting process.