Colorado May Restrict Shale Fracturing at Former Bombing Range

Bloomberg.com
By Jennifer Oldham -
Feb 3, 2012

Proposed drilling on a former bombing range that contains unexploded munitions and a landfill promptedColorado lawmakers this week to introduce a bill that would require rules for fracking near toxic-waste sites.

“This is quite immediately a public health and safety issue,” said State Senator Morgan Carroll, a Democrat who co-sponsored the measure. “The room for error here is limited.”
With the measure, Colorado joins other states, includingWest Virginia, New York and Ohio, seeking to regulate hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in which sand, water and chemicals are forced into rock under pressure, cracking it and releasing oil and natural gas.

In January, the Colorado State Land Board signed a tentative $137 million agreement with ConocoPhillips to lease oil and gas resources underneath 21,048 acres on the bombing range, said Davy Kong, a ConocoPhillips (COP) spokeswoman.

The Niobrara Shale formation extends from southeasternWyoming through northeastern Colorado and underneath the range, which is partly held in trust by the land board and includes the Aurora Reservoir, which provides recreation and drinking water for nearby residents.

There are 4,000 unexploded munitions on the former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range, which was used by the U.S. Army during World War II, Carroll said, as well as a landfill listed under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund toxic-waste cleanup program because of contaminated ground water.

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The “What the Frack?” Commission will submit its petitions to the Aurora City Council on Monday, August 8, 2011

AURORA, CO

Do you live, or know someone who lives in the city of Aurora, Colorado? The State of Colorado is allowing the Oil & Gas Industry to conduct hydraulic fracturing 'fracking' in Aurora, CO.

This is unprecedented and is wrong in so many ways to the citizens and the environment of Aurora. If you can allow 15-20 minutes of your day to voice the many reasons why natural gas mining in the City of Aurora is bad, please join the rest of us.

The State Land Board is currently considering proposals to lease the Lowry Bombing Range Land for 18-98 oil wells.



In 2007, this area, near the Aurora Reservoir, was designated for conservation use and low-impact development that is sensitive to our natural resources.

Fracking for oil in this area is not low-impact and will industrialize this land and pose a threat to our air, water, soil, quality of life, and health.





Public officials from the City of Aurora and Arapahoe County have not alerted the public or provided a formal statement of concern to the State Land Board. 
 
Our petitions request that this proposal needs to come before the public in hearings, and environmental impacts must be known before a leasing decision is made. We also recommend stipulations that should be part of the leasing agreements, if fracking is to proceed, that will reduce the risk to the public and the environment.

If you are as concerned about this proposal as we are, please show up and make a brief comment to the City Council.  Our public officials have all been told by the oil and gas industry that fracking is safe: it's time to tell them it is not.

 

YOUR VOICE IS IMPORTANT

The meeting starts at 7:30.  City Council meetings are open to the public and citizens are invited to be heard.  If you want to speak (and voice your concern about  fracking), you need to sign-up at 7:30 and comments are usually heard at the beginning of the meeting. You’ll have up to 3 minutes to speak.

WHERE:The Aurora Municipal Center (City Council Chamber)

ADDRESS: 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora, CO

TIME: 7:30 P.M.

The debate over fracking — the controversial oil and gas exploration technique — is set to come to Aurora as state officials consider increased oil drilling on the Lowry Bombing Range east of Aurora.

Critics of the technique, which involves blasting tons of liquid into the ground to free fossil fuels from rock formations, say it could jeopardize Aurora’s water and air.

The Colorado State Land Board owns about 26,000 acres on the range, which stretches east roughly from Aurora reservoir between East Quincy Avenue and County Line Road.

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ConocoPhillips to Begin Oil Exploration Near Metro Denver! AYFKM?

By Howard Pankratz
The Denver Post

Posted: 07/30/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT

ConocoPhillips will begin oil exploration in four metro-area counties in what an industry expert characterized as a major step in development of the oil-rich Niobrara formation under Colorado's plains.

Most of the 46,000 acres to be explored are adjacent to the north and east boundaries of the old Lowry bombing range in Arapahoe County.

"It is a big deal," said Marilee Utter, president of Denver-based Citiventure Associates.
Utter, a consultant to the Colorado Land Board, is developing a leasing plan so thousands of acres of the former bombing range owned by the board can be auctioned off for Niobrara exploration.

ConocoPhillips said it will begin oil exploration in Arapahoe, Adams, Elbert and Douglas counties "as soon as possible" as a result of an agreement to acquire leases from Lario Oil & Gas Co. Mike O'Shaughn- essy, president and chief executive of Lario, said 90 percent of the land is in Arapahoe County near the old bombing range. Not all of the acreage is contiguous. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Utter said the acquisition is very important because it means serious exploration of the Niobrara is heading south from Weld County, where the majority of exploration has taken place. In addition, the size of the acreage is impressive, she said.

"It is a big parcel. It gives (ConocoPhillips) more flexibility. Picking up big chunks is valuable. It gives them control," Utter said

Continue reading this moronic idea...

Dear David Neslin,

Thank you for admitting you do not have many Oil & Gas inspectors. 

This is a clear picture of inept management and lack of operational environmental management that can become catastrophic to the people of  Denver metro and the surrounding environment(s). We both know that spill incidents occur at alarming rates across Colorado.

The difference is, you deny it and we, the people, do not.

Most oil and gas leaks never get reported because there is not an inspector out in the field to actually notice and report a leaking pipe, berm breach, ruptured pipes and list goes on and on.

Many leaks get reported days, weeks or even a month later. A large percentage of Oil and Gas Spill/Incidents occur far before any inspector gets around to visit the well site.  What does this do to the environment? One hell of a lot of damage, that's what.

On COGCC's FORM 19 the inspector lists: 'Estimated Spill Amount', 'Estimated Recovered.' How is this effective?  How does this guide you for remediation planning? Guess work doesnt cut it Mr. Neslin. There is also a 'Corrective Action' portion on the FORM 19 and we feel that the action should be applied to you.  You are liable for this complacency.

 

 

Can you tell me how many thousands of spill/incidents are 'estimated' in frac-fluid/produced water loss?  How deep does this toxic cocktail penetrate the ground? You sample areas around the site to determine TBEX analytical results weeks and even a month or more past the actual spill date. How effective is it? It's charlatan O&G procedural quackery.  How many unknown barrels of toxic spills have occured? Not even you know how much has been lost/spilled thus potentitally contaminating the ground water and surrounding environment. Great work David!

What will you do when spill/incidents occur in our local Denver area at the same rate as rural spills? How will you control fugitive toxic emissions as to not harm the public?  Will you place the blame on Arapahoe County?  They can't even control their own management to not allegedly  illegally discharge paint on the ground and it's only getting worse for them.  They have one more 'BIG EXPOSE' coming very soon! 

Mr. Neslin, WE implore you to take a step back and realize that you are a puppet being fed by the industry.  You have a good-faith obligation to the citizens of Colorado to protect it's natural resources and it's people from  industrial harm.  Do not allow this development near Metro Denver!

Please send Neslin an email with your thoughts: David.Neslin@state.co.us

Copy us at WTFrack.org@gmail.com and we will post your voice.

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