Cattle and Oil Development risks 1
The Fort Berthold Reservation is currently undergoing some changes in the environment due to oil development and one of the areas that could be affected or already is being affected is the ranching community, particularly the cattle. Parts of
Western Canada such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northeastern British Columbia, and parts of Manitoba have been though the oil and gas industry development for some time now. The research done in Western Canada dealing with exposure to the oil and gas industry and their health effects on cattle are: beef calf mortality, risk of abortion and stillbirth, risk of non-pregnancy, risk of disposal for pregnant cows, immune functions in yearlings, and duration of the calving interval in cow-calf herds(Waldner 2008 2009, Bechtel 2009).
The researchers asked private veterinarians to contact the owners of herds,during the 2001 and 2002 calving season on 27,511 beef calves born to cows in
203 herds, using pastures within 1 mile of well and battery sites or within 5 miles of a compressor station or gas plant with a large flare incinerator stack(Waldner 2008
2009). They also recruited some herds outside the 5 mile distance in instances in which they suspected a history of large plumes of gas were located. All of the studies used the same toxic and airborne contaminants to test for, specifically sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic compounds(VOCs) measured as benzene and toluene. The associations between the densities of oil and gas well sites and the risks to the cow’s calves were also measured(Waldner 2008 2009, Bechtel
2009).

Cattle and Oil Development risks 2
The researchers also took into account the commonly recognized health problems in young calves. The problems that they looked at that could affect the outcome are: diarrhea, pneumonia, umbilical infections, and weakness or failure to thrive during gestation and in the first month after birth. These calves had a greater risk of dying than calves less exposed to the oil development(Waldner 2008 2009, Bechtel 2009).
During the tests for risk of abortion and stillbirth, there was no significant association between the emissions and abortion or stillbirth(Waldner 2009). The exposure time to the sulfur dioxide, and VOCs was estimated up to the time of pregnancy testing for all cows for which calving outcome could be determined from herd records.
In dealing with the mortality of calf mortality, exposure to sulfur dioxide during the last trimester of gestation was associated with a small increased risk of calf mortality, a similar association was there for exposure across all gestation(Waldner
2008). The association between exposure to sulfur dioxide during gestation and calf mortality remained statistically significant after adjustment for moth of calving and known risk factors (cow age, calf sex, temperature on day of birth, and month of calving)(Waldner 2008).
The association between reproductive performance and exposure was a key issue in the relationship between the livestock and petroleum industries, because reproductive efficiency is the single most critical factor affecting profitability in cowcalf production. Although there was no association between the risk of non-

Cattle and Oil Development risks 3 pregnancy and exposure, there was evidence of a small, statistically significant increase in the time from breeding to calving(Waldner 2008). Although the effect size was small, there was some limited evidence of an increase in the breeding to calving interval(BCL) with increasing exposure to VOCs measured as benzene(Waldner 2008).
The associations between airborne emissions from oil and gas field facilities and the structure and function of the immune system of yearling beef cattle was checked using the lymphocyte count in the yearlings’ blood (Bechtel 2009). The studies found significantly lower levels of lymphocytes in the yearlings’ blood, but the sample in this study was different than the rest and the results didn’t show that much statistical significance.
The research in Western Canada showed that a risk is there for some areas of health in the cattle industry on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The need for studies on many areas of the environment are needed here now, one being on the cattle industry,

Cattle and Oil Development risks 4
References
Waldner, C. L. (2008). Western Canada Study of Animal Health Effects
Associated With Exposure to Emissions From Oil and Natural Gas Field Facilities.
Study Design and Data Collection I. Herd Performance Records and Management.
Archives Of Environmental & Occupational Health, 63(4), 167-184.
Waldner, C. L. (2008). The Association Between Exposure to the Oil and Gas
Industry and Beef Calf Mortality in Western Canada. Archives Of Environmental &
Occupational Health, 63(4), 220-240.
Waldner, C. L. (2009). Risk of Abortion and Stillbirth in Cow-Calf Herds
Exposed to the Oil and Gas Industry in Western Canada. Archives Of
Environmental & Occupational Health, 64(1), 29-45.
Waldner, C. L., &Stryhn, H. (2008). Risk of Nonpregnancy, Risk of Disposal for
Pregnant Cows, and Duration of the Calving Interval in Cow-Calf Herds Exposed to the Oil and Gas Industry in Western Canada. Archives Of Environmental &
Occupational Health, 63(4), 241-261
Bechtel, D. G., Waldner, C. L., &Wickstrom, M. (2009). Associations Between
Immune Function in Yearling Beef Cattle and Airborne Emissions of Sulfur
Dioxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, and VOCs From Oil and Natural Gas Facilities.
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health64(1), 73-86