Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is an 11 year-old boy from Boulder, Colorado. In this video, Xiuhtezcatl shares his story about why he joined youth from across the country to ask the courts to hear their lawsuit, Alec L., et al., v. Lisa P. Jackson, et al., which is based on one of the most fundamental principles of civilized society: TRUST.
Xiuhtezcatl is asking that our atmosphere be protected, because he loves playing in Colorado's mountains, forests, lakes and streams and fears that the resources he most enjoys will not be there for his generation if we continue emitting carbon at current rates. Xiuhtezcatl shares, "The proof of climate change is everywhere I look. In my lifetime, the amount of forest killed by pine beetles has expanded. The number of acres burned has intensified. My generation is losing our forests. We are losing our homes. It's not too late to ensure my generation has a livable future. But we need to listen to the science and act now."
Over a century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized that our federal government has an absolute legal duty to protect our essential common natural resources -- such as our air and our water - for present and future generations of Americans. Our youth are simply asking our third branch of government to compel our legislative and executive branches to do their jobs.
DENVER (CBS4) – As more and more energy companies begin to drill along the Front Range, communities in close proximity are taking notice and — in some cases — are extremely upset.
There has been a strong, public outcry recently from at least two suburban neighborhoods that are butted up against the cusp of the Eastern Plains. They have strong concerns about hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” which involves freeing oil from rock far below the surface.
It’s either happening or on the agenda for multiple energy companies.
While Colorado is no stranger to drilling, interest has spiked in untapped portions of massive oil reserves that lie far below the surface of the Front Range.
Tisha makes us puke! It's all about money, money, money for the State of Colorado. Just look at her grin and get big eyes as if she was receiving it herself! SICK! What about the environmental hazards? Why is the the State of Colorado approving the use of trillions of gallons of fresh, potable water to extinction in a dry state? It is clearly sad that we are mining for something much less valuable than water.
We have deactivated the 'cry for help' links in your advertisement below so you, the reader wouldn't erroneously assist a CO official in his quest to frack up the picturesque Colorado environment. Mark Udall's vision is to create 100,000 Superfund-fracking sites in Colorado that possess great potential to destroy aquifers forever. What are your thoughts on an unregulated industry that does not have to comply by the simple laws that once protected the environment and its people to coexist in a healthy symbiotic manner? Is the oil and gas industry a parasite? Are you persuaded by them? You certainly do not have our votes so please stop using BS language in an attempt to persuade the people.
Clean, healthy energy does not include contamination of any kind. We understand that you have a cost/benefit, but 'fracking' is beyond that. It is a death/benefit.
What is the acceptable/allowable number of deaths that are incurred by this industry? Is this formula built into the unregulated business model for success? Please, answer these questions for the late Laura Amos.
Get a clue Udall!
Mark's Newsletter Update: A Vision for Colorado's Energy Future | September 14, 2011
Last week President Obama rolled out his jobs plan. While I’m still studying the details, I continue my push for Republicans and Democrats to come together on a comprehensive jobs proposal that requires both parties to put some skin in the game and compromise for the good of the country.
It's time for Congress to put the partisan gridlock of the past few months behind us to get the economy going again. Beyond that we need to keep our eyes to the horizon so we can foster the innovative industries and technologies that will keep America’s economy strong for generations to come.
The president's plan needs to include a vision for the future. I've said it before and I'll say it again: a strong economy is an energy-independent economy. Strategic investments in renewable and domestic sources of energy will help create American jobs and reduce our dependence on unstable regions like the Middle East for our energy needs.
My vision is for Colorado to be the energy hub of the United States, with our state producing all the energy it needs and selling the surplus to neighboring states. With the sun in the San Luis Valley, the wind on the Eastern Plains and the brainpower at our top universities and NREL, Colorado could easily lead the country in energy production.
America has some of the best ideas in the world, especially when it comes to renewable energy, but with growing competition from countries like China, we need to make the investments necessary to keep churning out those good ideas and maintain our leadership in this global race.
Our state is uniquely positioned to vastly expand our own energy production because of our natural resources and statewide Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). I think Colorado can be the model for a comprehensive energy plan for the country - if the United States would follow Colorado's lead and pass a national RES, our country could expand upon the strides Coloradans have already made.
Every part of our state could contribute to making Colorado a superpower for energy. The San Luis Valley, which is a hot spot for solar, could be the nation’s leader on sun power. The eastern quarter of the state has some of the strongest gusts of wind, making Colorado the 11th best place in the nation to harness wind power. Pueblo is already home to the largest wind tower manufacturing plant in the country and surrounding towns could follow its lead. Golden holds NREL, our country’s crown jewel for clean energy research and development. And by continuing to responsibly tap Colorado’s vast reserves of natural gas, we could lift our economy and start lowering our unemployment rate.
By implementing a national RES and adopting an aggressive renewable and domestic energy strategy in Colorado, we could up our unemployment numbers, put Coloradans back to work and position Colorado – and our nation – to lead in the clean energy economy of the future.
Warm regards,
Offices
Toll Free for Coloradans: 877-7-MUDALL (877-768-3255)
Washington, D.C. Office
Hart Office Building
Suite SH-328
Washington, D.C. 20510
P: 202-224-5941
Northwest Region
P.O. Box 866
Clark, CO 80428
P: 303-650-7820
Central Mountain Region
P.O. Box 743
Tabernash, CO 80478
P: 303-650-7820
Northeast Region
801 8th Street
Suite 140A
Greeley, CO 80631
P: 970-356-5586
West Slope Region
400 Rood Avenue
Suite 215
Grand Junction, CO 81501
P: 970-245-9553
Denver Metro Area Region
999 18th Street
Suite 1525, North Tower
Denver, CO 80202
P: 303-650-7820
Southern Colorado Region
107 West B Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
P: 719-542-1701
Four Corners Region
954 East 2nd Avenue
Suite 106
Durango, CO 81301
P: 970-247-1047
Pikes Peak Region
2880 International Circle
Suite 107
Colorado Springs, CO 80910
P: 719-471-3993
San Luis Valley Region
609 Main Street
Suite 205
Alamosa, CO 81101
P: 719-589-2101
To unsubscribe from Mark's Newsletter Updates, please click here or
paste this address into your web browser: http://senate.gov/?p=newsletter_unsub
Make 2 phone calls on Tuesday, September, 13, 2011, and protect Elbert County from the unknown and potentially deadly consequences of "fracking" by BIG Oil & Gas Corporations.
Action Steps That Must be Taken on Tuesday, September 13th, 2011 . . .
Call President Obama at 1-888-498-2945and the Democratic National Committee at 1-866-942-5148 and ask them to support measures to ban fracking in the United States until . . .
the oil and gas industry's exemption from public health and safety laws is removed (They currently have a unique exemption from the Safe Water Drinking Act, the Clean Air Act, CERCLA Superfund Act, and 5 other federal regulations) and
federally funded research can establish the scope of harm to date and
the technology can be improved to avoid these serious threats
BIG Oil & Gas Companies like Chesapeake Energy, Conoco and others threaten to RAPE Elbert County of our natural resources, quality of life and the safety of the drinking water we desparately depend on. France has already banned fracking in their country. Why?
Water safety and security
Security of ranchland and farmland
Uncontrollable methane gas escape that is poisoning wells and aquifers and creating ozone worse than coal emissions
Earthquakes associated with deep oil well storage of wastewater
Serious water and air pollution that is causing a huge threat to public health and saftety
And the list goes on and on . . .
But how can this be in America? Don't be stupid . . . just follow the money of record profits in BIG Oil & Gas Corporations and their kickbacks to local and state government and you will have your answer.
The Obama Administration recently said that it will seriously consider petitions/call in drives that involve more than 5000 people. Please encourage your family members and friends to call on Tuesday, September 13, 2011! If they see a HUGE call in for banning fracking altogether, maybe we will at least get more traction on reguests to regulate it!
Sincerely,
Citizens for Elbert County
Say, "Hello my name is _______, I live in (City, State) and I oppose hydraulic fracturing." ...
If the phone lines get jammed, send an email through the White House Contact page at:
The results are in: the oil and gas rules approved in 2009 have been a resounding success. They have streamlined permitting, cut red tape, and created regulatory consistency. It’s no surprise that the industry’s recovery has been faster in Colorado than in any other Rocky Mountain state. The lesson is clear -- we can protect communities and treasured landscapes while we create a healthier energy industry.
The rules have addressed very real problems. During two decades of rapid development, drilling rigs and gas wells popped up near schools, businesses, and homes. Toxic chemicals contaminated air and drinking water. Poorly planned and unrestrained drilling led to severe fragmentation of wildlife habitat.
In the coming years, as we manage the impacts of oil and gas development, the rules will continue to protect Colorado communities and encourage constructive cooperation between citizens and industry. How the rules protect us Drinking water. The new rules protect drinking water supplies by creating a 300 foot buffer around streams that feed our reservoirs. They protect groundwater by requiring waste pits to be lined and disposed of at appropriate facilities. Clean air. The new rules protect air quality near homes, schools, and other occupied buildings in northwest Colorado by requiring emission control devices on equipment. Chemical information during an emergency. The new rules, though not requiring public disclosure of chemicals used in drilling operations, do give officials and medical professionals a right to information needed to respond to emergencies at well sites. Groundwater testing. The rules help keep polluters accountable by requiring testing in southeastern Colorado at coalbed methane well sites. Jobs and the economy: the facts The 2009 slowdown in oil and gas development was caused by economic factors, not by the rules. The recession, an oversupply of gas, and the steep decline in natural gas prices led to the 2009 slowdown. (2008 gas price: $8-10 per thousand cubic ft. 2009 gas price: $2-3 per thousand cubic ft.)1
Colorado is rebounding faster than other states in the West. Since the rules took effect in April 2009, Colorado has outpaced neighboring states in oil and gas activity. 2010 saw the third highest number of permits issued in state history. Colorado is the regional leader in permits issued and new well starts – ahead of Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah and Montana.2
The rules have cut red tape for industry. Processing time for drilling permits has declined since the rules took effect. (63 days in 2008 vs. 35 days by late 2010)3 1 COGCC report presented to Joint Budget Committee, Jan. 7, 2010, aka "Natural Resources Hearing," p. 4
2 "Colorado on Pace in 2010 for Third Most Drilling Permits … Denver Post, Dec. 21, 2010. For 2009 performance, see "Natural Resources Hearing. For first half of 2010, see Neslin memo to COGCC, June 23, 2010. 3 Neslin memo to COGCC, June 23, 2010. Neslin, "Northwest Colorado Oil and Gas Forum," Nov. 2010. For more information contact: Charlie Montgomery, CEC, 303.405-6707, charlie@ourcolorado.org
What oil and gas interests are saying about the rules ... "We are not looking for any wholesale changes and we are not asking for any legislation this year…What a lot of producers and the whole business community wants is business certainty. We can mostly live with what we've got," he said. 2011 Legislative Fact Sheet | Colorado Environmental Coalition Doug Flanders, Colorado Oil and Gas Association, Denver Post, Dec. 31, 2010 http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_16982663 "Washington policymakers considering stronger regulations sometimes look to the states for ideas. Colorado’s new oil and gas regulations may be providing exactly that." Nick Snow, "OGJ Washington Pulse Blog," Oil&Gas Journal, Aug. 19, 2010 http://www.ogj.com/index/blogs/washington-pulse/blogs/OGJ/washington-pulse/post987_2943840259389535922.html "I’d say we’ve been pleased with the communication channels we’ve had with all the state agencies as all of us have implemented the new rules." Jim Branch, Piceance Project executive for ExxonMobil Production Co., Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Dec. 12, 2009. http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2009/12/29/123009_Energy_gas_side_www.html "We really think that …Colorado has been a leader, and we think the state rules and regs have been sufficient … "[W]e went through the process on the rules and regs in Colorado and in Wyoming and we support the states’ efforts …" Lisa Hough, BP Senior Director of Government and Public Affairs, Colorado Independent, July 30, 2010 http://coloradoindependent.com/58499/colorado-conservation-groups-push-congress-for-tougher-drilling-regs "The new rules, we didn’t know how that was going to manifest itself, but we’ve seen some good progress. Now, things are pretty consistent." Al Harrison, Vice President of exploration and production for the Denver region and the Piceance Basin, Williams Corporation, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Aug. 3, 2010 http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/hickenlooper_talks_about_creat/P20/ For more information contact: Charlie Montgomery, CEC, 303.405-6707, charlie@ourcolorado.org
GASFRAC Energy Services Inc’s. proprietary LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Fracturing Process utilizes gelled LPG in place of conventional fracturing fluids. The unique properties of the LPG fracturing process result in significant savings on material expenses and fracture clean up, as well as increased well productivity.
The gelled LPG used in the fracturing process has the ability to both generate the necessary fracture system, carry the proppant through the wellbore and place into the oil and gas reservoir being stimulated.
The LPG used in the process is highly soluble in formation hydrocarbons. As a result, the LPG process results in less damage to formations than conventional hydraulic fracturing. And unlike conventional treatments where as much as 50% of the carrier remains in the reservoir and hinders well performance, virtually 100% of the LPG can be recovered.
Comparison of Conventional and GASFRAC’s LPG Fracturing Process
Is this a viable solution to pollution? Or is the only viable solution to ban hrydraulic fracturing altogether? We feel a ban is in order and considerably past due. WTFrack.org
In the 1990s, oil and gas was booming, and industry attorney Lance Astrella had it all: a thriving practice, a plump paycheck and a reputation as one of the best in the business. Then one night, disturbed by rumors of drillers trashing private property, he attended a community meeting in Denver. One by one, people stood up and told heartbreaking tales of contaminated land and respiratory and other health problems, all of which they blamed on the very industry he represented.
Around the same time, Astrella noticed another distressing trend: Oil and gas companies were ignoring new technologies that could lessen their environmental impacts. He had been sure, for example, that an efficient drilling system that didn't require open waste fluid pits -- which can spill harmful chemicals into the air and water -- would become the norm. It didn't. Even when such practices saved money, says Astrella, many companies avoided them out of the fear that voluntarily embracing greener methods would increase the likelihood of stricter regulations.
So Astrella defected. "I think when you get older, you become more concerned with what's going to affect the world in the long term," he says. He believed that win-win solutions were out there, and he intended to push companies to use them.
Lance Astrella concentrates his practice in the area of energy and environmental matters. Mr. Astrella has been a member of the State Bars of Colorado and California since 1974. He received his bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and economics from California State University at Chico, a master’s degree in economics from the University of California at Davis, and his doctorate of jurisprudence degree from the University of the Pacific– McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. Mr. Astrella is a frequent speaker on energy and related environmental matters and he is often associated as counsel by other law firms which seek his expertise. He was named as one of Colorado’s “Super Lawyers” in 2007.
Astrella Law P.C.1801 Broadway, Suite 1600
Denver, Colorado 80202
Phone: 303-292-9021
Fax: 303-296-6347
DENVER – The state will not get involved with a study of chemicals used in natural-gas drilling, legislators decided Monday.
Rep. Roger Wilson, D-Glenwood Springs, wanted state agencies to review an upcoming federal study to see if hydraulic fracturing is affecting drinking water. He also wanted a report to the Legislature about the number of complaints to the state about fracking.
But Wilson’s House Bill 1172 died on a 4-8 vote in the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee.
The bill drew criticism from both defenders of the gas industry and its harshest critics.
Republicans on the panel said they think fracking gets a bad reputation that it does not deserve.
Wilson said his bill would have quelled public concerns.
“That is exactly why I think this bill is important. Without the public having confidence that we’re looking at the scientific information that’s coming out, the public’s choice is to increase their suspicion and superstition about what’s going on,”
Rep. Roger Wilson, D-Glenwood Springs said:
Drillers frequently pump water, sand and chemicals into wells to fracture the underground rock formations and stimulate gas production. Environmentalists worry that the fracking fluid could contaminate drinking water, but in 2005 Congress exempted the fluids from the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The controversy has raged ever since, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking a new look at the issue in a study to be done by 2012.
Environmentalists were split on the bill. The Colorado Environmental Coalition supported it, but the Earthworks Oil and Gas Accountability Project, based in Durango, opposed it.
OGAP lawyer Alan Curtis said the group would like to see a detailed baseline study of water quality in order to be able to measure possible pollution from drilling. But he did not want to put the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in charge of the study, as Wilson’s bill did.
“Our experience with the commission has been that their primary motivation is to see that there is as much oil and gas production in the state as can be done. And the water quality concerns are secondary,” Curtis said.
The state’s oil and gas commission already is reviewing its database in light of federal information that showed some gas drillers used diesel fuel for hydraulic fracturing. That review was not part of Wilson’s bill.
Rep. J. Paul Brown, R-Ignacio, did not want the Legislature to get a report on complaints filed against the gas industry.
“I have a little problem with complaints from the public. You can complain about just about anything,” Brown said, noting that people have filed harassing complaints against his ranching operation. “This should not be able to happen.”
Brown and Rep. Don Coram, R-Montrose – whose district covers part of Montezuma County – voted against the HB 1172.
jhanel@durango herald.com
---------------------
Is this guy a daft politician or has special interst consumed his life to hide the facts?
Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project (OGAP) cheers the activists who spoke out yesterday challenging the STRONGER review of Colorado’s hydraulic fracturing rules. Citizen engagement of all types will only improve the process.
STRONGER (State Review of Oil and Gas Environmental Regulations) was created by federal agencies to review and validate state regulations as a means to fill the void left by oil & gas industry-won loopholes in federal environmental law. It should not exist. For decades, we have worked to close the loopholes that created it. And, in the absence of strong federal oversight, we continue to work diligently at state and local levels to enact strong safeguards because federal regulations continue to fall short.
Earthworks participates – Wilma Subra, our board member and Bruce Baizel, our senior staff attorney – in STRONGER because we work through all available avenues to protect communities and the environment from the destructive impacts of mining, digging and drilling. STRONGER is an imperfect process in need of improvement. But it will exist with our participation or not. Without our presence, communities would have little or no voice at all.
Earthworks’ OGAP believes that hydraulic fracturing should only be permitted if it can be done safely. Whether that is possible remains an open question – and will remain so as long as industry and its allies stonewall those who wish to answer it.
Westin Wilson on Probable Impact of Fracking for Oil at Lowry Bombing Range, Arapahoe County.
Interview with Westin Wilson, former Denver EPA Environmental Engineer, in Denver CO, on April 13, 2011, regarding the probable impact of horizontal hydraulic fracturing for oil at the Former Lowry Bombing Range in Arapahoe County, Colorado. The Colorado State Land Board is considering a proposal to lease 1600-2600 acres of land for 19-98 oil fracking wells.
The land is north of the Aurora Reservoir, above 4 aquifers, in an area designated as low impact and resource sensitive. Fracking would bring very large scale industrial operations that would impact area air, land, water, and quality of life (noise, traffic, road use, fumes, etc).
Mr. Wilson became a whistleblower at the EPA, regarding the conclusions of an EPA final report of 2004, that concluded, contrary to the evidence contained therein, that hydraulic fracturing poses little or no threat to underground sources of drinking water and required no further study. Mr. Wilson subsequently became an EPA whistleblower in order to alert Congress to the possible impacts of fracking on drinking water and the need for further study re impact on water and air quality.
For more info on the Lowry project, see website: http://frackingcolorado.wordpress.com/
Colorado residents:
Please consider our 2 petitions, which contain detailed information about the project's probable impact, our specific requests to mitigate impacts on public health, air quality, water quality, and area quality of life, and also specify that the oil and gas companies (rather than Arapahoe County or the State Land Board or the state of Colorado) would be liable for any related road damages, spills cleanup, or other environmental damages.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Everyone was a film critic Monday at a somewhat tense screening of the new anti-gas-drilling documentary “Split Estate” for the Garfield County commissioners. Most of the reviews — surprisingly, even from the industry — were glowing.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar (Split Estate)
“I really need to sit down and see it again with a pen and paper,” said Donna Gray, community affairs representative for Williams, the largest operator in gas-rich Garfield County. “Not to fact check it, just to organize our thoughts about it. Again, I’m not ready to say anything, other than it was a very well-done film … very well-done.”
“Split Estate,” an award-winning documentary detailing the environmental conflicts between surface property owners and mineral-rights holders allowed to extract natural gas from their land, was screened for the commissioners at the request of the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance, which hopes to get a resolution from the board supporting greater federal oversight.
Specifically, the GVCA wants the commissioners to back the FRAC Act (Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals) sponsored by U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette and Jared Polis — both Colorado Democrats — and supported and opposed by a number of Colorado towns and counties.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a common gas-drilling process that involves injecting high pressure sand, water and undisclosed chemicals into natural gas wells to force open rock and tight sand formations deep underground and free up more gas.
The process, perfected by the oil services firm Halliburton, was granted an exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act during the Bush administration in 2005. The FRAC Act would remove that exemption and force oil and gas companies to broadly disclose the potentially toxic chemicals used in fracking, which industry officials say is competitive and proprietary information.
“One person who gets sick in Garfield County from oil and gas contamination from fracking fluids is one person too many, and we must help them,” GVCA board member Leslie Robinson told the commissioners after reading a resolution her group drafted at the request of the commissioners. The film details complaints from Silt and Rifle residents who say their health has been compromised for years by drilling operations on their land that have fouled the air and water.
“[A pro-FRAC-Act resolution] would make a lot of difference, and the county commissioners, with this movie, it’s something to make them sit up and notice,” said Dee Hoffmeister of Dry Hollow, south of Silt. “If it’s not in their backyard, they don’t really know what the ramifications are. It’s only those of us who have in our backyard and are sick from it [who know], and this movie is really showing what’s going on more than anything.
Some physicians agree people are being poisoned by fumes and undisclosed chemicals in groundwater supplies. They say there are simply too many cases of breathing problems, dizziness, unexplained achiness, nausea, bloody noses and eyes, neurological disorders and tumors to discount as coincidence. But industry officials argue there is no direct evidence that the host of aliments is connected to their drilling operations.
“I guess what I can say about Williams is we have a very good reputation as responsible operators in this area, and we stand on that reputation,” Gray said. “We’ve received awards from both the Bureau of Land Management and the [Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission] for community relations and for best-management practices.”
“I imagine we’ll be putting this on an agenda, probably in November, because the three of us won’t be here the next meeting, and as you know, we still need to deliberate on that, but I think this reading [of the resolution] makes a great deal of sense, so thanks for bringing that forward,” said Houpt, who has previously indicated her support for the FRAC Act.
Republican John Martin has said he thinks federal oversight is unnecessary, while Republican Mike Samson seems undecided on the issue. From a state perspective, Gov. Bill Ritter has said more study is needed before a layer of federal oversight is added, and David Neslin, head of the COGCC, has said his organization would be open to more study, but that his staff generally feels state regulations are adequate for policing hydraulic fracturing.
“[The county commissioners] have taken a lot of testimony about [the FRAC Act] from both sides, so I’ll be very interested to hear,” Gray said. “They’re grappling with some difficult issues here, and I trust them and I think they’ll come to the right decision.”
