News
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Garfield County commissioners and the state oil and gas commission denied a Silt resident’s request to immediately halt hydraulic fracturing in the East Mamm Creek area.
After emerging from a closed-door session, commissioner John Martin said there wasn’t any evidence to allow the county to act on the request.
“No matter how sympathetic I am, I need to have some evidence,” Martin said. “It is a very emotional, personal issue, and an issue that we feel is a safety issue, but I don’t think we’re going to stand much of a chance without evidence.”
Commissioner Trési Houpt was absent from Monday’s meeting.
The county expects to receive a report soon regarding Lisa Bracken’s concerns from geology professor Geoffrey Thyne.
Bracken, who lives south of Silt, asked county commissioners and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) last week for a temporary injunction on hydraulic fracturing. At her request, county commissioners agreed last month to ask the COGCC to re-instate a moratorium on drilling in the East Mamm Creek area. That was issued after EnCana Oil and Gas was fined a record $371,200 in 2004 after gas and benzene seeped to the surface and appeared in West Divide Creek.
But testing by the COGCC and EnCana hasn’t found evidence supporting Bracken’s concerns. Bracken contends the COGCC hasn’t done enough and drilling since the moratorium was lifted is causing new seeps. She and neighbor Jim Eubanks worry that planned hydraulic fracturing by EnCana in the area could contaminate water and change geologic conditions even as Thyne is drafting conclusions for his report.
County commissioners are awaiting Thyne’s report before asking the COGCC to re-instate the moratorium.
In an e-mail to Bracken, COGCC director David Neslin said, “We do not believe an order to delay hydraulic fracturing in the Mamm Creek area is appropriate at this time.” He said there are several reasons, including that “none of the past events outlined in (Bracken’s) letter indicate hydraulic fracturing causes adverse impacts to the environment. Although you may be concerned about the proper cementing of surface casing or the loss of well control in a well in your area, these issues are separate from the action of hydraulic fracturing.”
Neslin added that new COGCC rules require monitoring of well pressure that will prevent any harm to aquifers in the area.
Bracken fired back an e-mail Saturday calling the COGCC’s decision “unfortunate, disappointing and extraordinarily reckless.” She wrote that sampling last year didn’t occur quick enough after she reported adverse environmental impacts and the evidence could have been destroyed.
Contact Pete Fowler: 384-9121
pfowler@postindependent.com
After emerging from a closed-door session, commissioner John Martin said there wasn’t any evidence to allow the county to act on the request.
“No matter how sympathetic I am, I need to have some evidence,” Martin said. “It is a very emotional, personal issue, and an issue that we feel is a safety issue, but I don’t think we’re going to stand much of a chance without evidence.”
Commissioner Trési Houpt was absent from Monday’s meeting.
The county expects to receive a report soon regarding Lisa Bracken’s concerns from geology professor Geoffrey Thyne.
Bracken, who lives south of Silt, asked county commissioners and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) last week for a temporary injunction on hydraulic fracturing. At her request, county commissioners agreed last month to ask the COGCC to re-instate a moratorium on drilling in the East Mamm Creek area. That was issued after EnCana Oil and Gas was fined a record $371,200 in 2004 after gas and benzene seeped to the surface and appeared in West Divide Creek.
But testing by the COGCC and EnCana hasn’t found evidence supporting Bracken’s concerns. Bracken contends the COGCC hasn’t done enough and drilling since the moratorium was lifted is causing new seeps. She and neighbor Jim Eubanks worry that planned hydraulic fracturing by EnCana in the area could contaminate water and change geologic conditions even as Thyne is drafting conclusions for his report.
County commissioners are awaiting Thyne’s report before asking the COGCC to re-instate the moratorium.
In an e-mail to Bracken, COGCC director David Neslin said, “We do not believe an order to delay hydraulic fracturing in the Mamm Creek area is appropriate at this time.” He said there are several reasons, including that “none of the past events outlined in (Bracken’s) letter indicate hydraulic fracturing causes adverse impacts to the environment. Although you may be concerned about the proper cementing of surface casing or the loss of well control in a well in your area, these issues are separate from the action of hydraulic fracturing.”
Neslin added that new COGCC rules require monitoring of well pressure that will prevent any harm to aquifers in the area.
Bracken fired back an e-mail Saturday calling the COGCC’s decision “unfortunate, disappointing and extraordinarily reckless.” She wrote that sampling last year didn’t occur quick enough after she reported adverse environmental impacts and the evidence could have been destroyed.
Contact Pete Fowler: 384-9121
pfowler@postindependent.com
