If you want to know why controversy over Colorado’s fracking industry nearly caused a political nuclear meltdown this week, just go outside of your house.
From your front porch, imagine how life might be different if 500 feet away, an oil company erected an oil rig and fracking system, brought in a dozen or so construction workers, big trucks and a ton of water, and got to work.
It’s hard for most of us to imagine such a thing because we don’t know what modern oil drilling and fracking equipment looks like, smells like and sounds like. It’s hard for most of us to imagine because we can’t even judge what 500 feet is really like.
This will help. Imagine your house sits on one end of a Wal-Mart parking lot. Under current state law, a drilling and fracking rig could set up on the other end of the parking lot. It’s not exactly right in the backyard, but it’s certainly much closer than most people in Aurora would want to live to any kind of industrial operation, and especially one that involves extraction of natural gas and oil. On the other hand, many people still expect an oil or gas rig to resemble something used by wildcatters in old black-and-white movies. In reality, many of these rigs are about as intrusive, noisy and bothersome as equipment used by Aurora and Xcel energy to repair street lights, power lines and city sewers.
In Aurora, and along most Front Range communities, we see all of this through the eyes of a suburban homeowner. Such operations are nothing but a traffic nuisance to most folks around here. But if you owned the land and the oil or gas well? Most people could put up with a lot of fracking nuisance for big gas and oil cash.
And if the fracking operation was upwind or uphill from your home? Big differences there as well. The point is, a 500-foot fracking and drilling set-back from homes may be suitable in some instances and disastrous in others. The notion of this inflexible set-back has been offensive enough during the past couple of years that critics of the industry were poised to ask statewide voters to increase it to 2,000 feet, about a third of a mile. That could spell disaster for the gas and oil industry, which, in turn, could implode the state’s bustling economy.
Armed with millions, oil and gas producers were set to launch their own ballot questions that would harshly penalize nay-saying communities and could possibly undermine property values. But a last-minute compromise this week pulls all the measures from the statewide ballot and offers one more chance for compromise. The compromise, engineered by Gov. John Hickenlooper, was a smart and critical accomplishment.
Now, an 18-person panel will suggest to the state Legislature ways that all of Colorado can live with the oil and gas industry. Above all, this must happen: The state must allow local jurisdictions the power to modify state setback requirements on a case-by-case basis. In cases where a rig is 500 feet upwind and uphill from a home or school and clearly capable of causing problems, local governments must have the power to prevent or modify oil and gas extraction. Likewise, however, in cases were it’s strategic to move a rig closer to a home by another 100 feet or so, and the homeowner doesn’t object, exceptions should be allowed when sanctioned by local county or city government. Much of state law in the matter is pretty workable, but what’s missing from the mix is the ability for local governments, who understand problems with applying theoretical regulation and setback scenarios, can make important calls.
Aurora has an extensive system to settle the opposing interests of business and neighborhoods and residents. Building something that mirrors Aurora’s push to get all sides to compromise is a good way to keep the state from getting close to the ballot brinkmanship on the issue in the future.
Now imagine when other countries run out of oil-gas-coal in their countries, where is there a very large (larger than ever developed or used in the past) present. While EPA plans to force shut-down of 234 (?) coal fired electric plants in USA, there are plans and building now in Europe, China, and other countries to build over 1200 coal fired plants. And USA fought war against Cuba over a coal supply for ships when Teddy Roosevelt and rough riders fought there. USA and other countries involved with war in middle east to keep the shipping lines for oil-gas open to the world, while Russia strong-arms its neighbors by controlling that energy source. DO YOU NOT BELIEVE THEY WILL INVADE USA, WHEN THOSE SOURCES RUN OUT? Imagine occupying power coming in, (or from within our own future generation) who take away ALL OF YOUR PROPERTY RIGHTS? Study history, and all wars start when a stronger neighbor wants something from country next to,or within striking range. USA has lost a lot of our youth to fighting such wars, or were injured. Will that not come to our shores, perhaps in some of your lifetimes? FRACKING will rebuild our own industry, when present administration move on, and OSHA, EPA, BLM, IRS, get their feet off our necks.
oil and gas already taking property rights away from people in Colorado.
If you don’t go along with their substandard rates, they force you to
be pooled with others at an even lower price.
Wonder how you will feel when Conoco Phillips drills in your
neighborhood?
Fear is no way to make informed educated decisions as far as
energy exploration is concerned.
I predict we will be going to war over WATER in the near future.
2 to 8 million gallons per frack, and a well may be fracked up to
12 times.
Sorry to bust your balloon. Company in Pa and Ohio are recovery the water coming back, and it is being reused. And as far as that water coming out, it is the same water that went in, with the Borax and other slippery stuff added, plus what ever mother nature put there in the first place. So our refineries can run that water through and make it clean, facet safe again. Same as the water from metro area going north, being recaptured out of Platte River, and coming to our facets every day. You did know that didn’t? It was well advertised when they built that facility for water for metro area. As for taking oil-gas out from under your property, they could and can do that without you even knowing (if you do own any mineral rights) with horizontal drilling up to 2 miles in any direction stand. That is taken from 7-9 thousand feet down, and our water table is about 400 to 1000 feet. And you knew that too??????
Fracking is not a new procedure. Nitroglycerine was used after Drake’s well in Pa all those years ago. I have visited that site, with the rebuilt historical wood platform he used, and that oil oozed from the ground. Fracking was updated after civil war when they used explosives in different form. Then moved on to water, sand and added slippery substances to let the oil-gas move through the rocks and shale. Only real reason people are complaining here, in N.D., Ohio, Pa and elsewhere is THEY DO NOT OWN MINERAL RIGHTS, OR LIKE POLIS DON’T THAT UGLY DRILL STAND ACROSS ROAD FROM HIS VACATION HOME. So give us all a break and publish the truth. I much prefer we use our own assets, and quit killing my military peers or injuring them in life, so 99% of USA can drive cars with air conditioning, use fossil fuels and feel better, if they buy electric-gas car. Don’t realize the energy to recharge the batteries when not running comes from Oil-gas-coal fired electric plants. And more energy is used to make ethanol, than it sells for. Don’t believe the environmentalists. They have different axes to grind.
The Greeley Tribune on July 28, 2014, reports on
weekly spills concerning oil and gas development.
In one instance, “the lab confirmed that the
concentration of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene
and total xylenes exceeded the applicable Colorado
Oil and Gas Conservation Commission standards.”
No one suggested that fracking is a new procedure.
However, with horizontal hydraulic fracking, a lot
more water is used, as well as chemicals, and has
only been used in the last 5 or 6 years.
It’s the injection wells that cause the earthquakes….
the water that is injected under enormous pressure
into injection wells. The same type of procedure that
caused earthquakes at Rocky Flats in the l960’s.
Earthquakes happen all the time, all through this planet. Media and folks who want to pick a reason, always believe that. I worked underground in Ohio coal mine when 18, and earth – walls-top was always working and shifting. Methane gas, black damp, and other gases present, but we filled the bottom portion of our 2 section lunch buckets with the water seeping out of ceiling or wall on entry, rather than bring water from home. Seeping through all that rock-shale-other solids and liquids in the earth, that water was good and sweet tasting, same as spring water on the surface. That was in 1948-49. So I am not too impressed with those who do not own any mineral rights, complaining. In fact, Scio Ohio had oil wells dotting all the hillsides, and even in town during the 1800s, before I was born. Believe it or not, no one can tell today where those platforms were and they had all kinds of leakage to the top soil. Today, that whole area from Cleveland to W.VA. mountain area has deep wells for oil-gas, and multiple fractionization plants (3 in Harrison County at Hopedale, Cadiz, and Scio, with 3-4 more plants in Carroll county to the north, and also Tuscarawas County to the west. All connected by pipelines, and with trucks bringing oil-gas to the plants. The separated fuels, and other products go out by train, in special tank cars to processors who make plastic, and other products. Lots of money, and operating similar to Colorado. In fact you can read their laws on web (OHIO). Same goes for Pennsylvania, though they have some protestors there too.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Association has stated they
filled one injection well with concrete because of the
“seismic” activity.
Five years ago, Oklahoma had 2 earthquakes. Last
year they had over a hundred. This year, they have
experienced over 200 earthquakes — sometimes three
a day. Lots of fracking going on there. . . just sayin.
So what is your point? Did any of those kill you. I was in earthquake in Hawaii in 1972 -73 with a ripple of carpet starting on one side wall, rippling across floor, and stopping at other wall. Wife and I had our 5.5 ton motor home parked her brothers front yard and shook ground enough for my rear wheels to sink about 4 inches deep, and when we drove north from Escondido to Travis AFB, near Fairfield, Calif we saw the destruction of Freeway along the coast. And no one was fracking or drilling at any of those sites. Same with Hawaii other day. I never saw any oil-gas drilling rigs on Oahu through the years. As I said Mother Nature does that all the time. Big deal – live with it. You may think it is slippery additive, I just think it is Mother Nature shifting to another position. Let it go, find something else to occupy your time and effort. YOU WILL NOT CONVINCE ME, AND I DOUBT YOU ARE CONVINCING ANYONE ELSE, BY PREACHING TO YOUR CHOIR.
Frank. . .didn’t know I had a choir. Your use of
capital letters I’m sure convinced everyone that
earthquakes are just the earth shifting different
positions, quite like one would do when getting
comfy in bed.
So let’s recap. . .you don’t believe fracking uses
harmful chemicals, earthquakes are OK, and
using 4 to 8 million gallons of water per frack
is OK too, and if you are concerned about
fracking you should just move.
By the way, Hawaii County Council voted to ban fracking
last year. Great decision on their part!
Well, Golly, Gee Whiz. I lived over there in 1972 – 1975, My daughter married Engineer whose father was Secretary to Lt. Governor. My son-in-law switched from highway-freeway engineering (top field engineer in all the freeway engineer offices of individual projects for years. Switched to Honolulu State Offices, and engineered the project to install new sewer system completely under city of Honolulu. He completed that job, and went to Washington to receive Engineering National Award for not interrupting any sewer systems already in use, did not cut any power lines or other services over long period. Died at age 53 of Heart Attack, due to stress.
Somehow in all of that, we never heard of any oil or gas drilling on Oahu, or the other islands, and doubt lava would ever produce coal, gas, or oil. Heck not even diamonds, other than those lost on wedding rings from tourists on the beaches. So if (?????) they did pass anti-fracking, I suspect that is because Hawaii is HEAVILY, PREDOMINATELY DEMOCRATIC PARTY ORIENTED. And they had a rich sense of humor, to support Obama. Oh, by the way, I do believe that cost Neil Ambercrombie his re-election to second term. Don’t whisper that to our Democratic Senators. Might scare them, and you would not want to do that, now would you? Nah! Maybe you would.
Just re-read you reply: We are already at economical war over water and have been. Have you forgotten more water is used for all you folks who moved to Colorado in last 20 years for lawns, flowers, etc. than is used for Agriculture, which is more than the oil-gas companies use for Fracking. So move back to where you all came from, and you won’t have a problem. I bought my house in Aurora, when 3,000 lived here, having married a Denver born spouse. Her father used to hunt jack rabbits were many of you live at that time. Altura was small village east of Aurora, and I had a railroad track running past my back yard. My children, now in middle age played across those tracks to banks of sand creek. And before all the environmentalist moved to Colorado, I remember the buttes all having off-road marks of motorcycles running horizontal and vertical on them along the old road, before I-70.