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CARBONDALE, Colorado — Carbondale’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday in support of a resolution seeking the removal of an oil and gas industry exemption to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act for chemicals used in a drilling process known as frac’ing.
The Carbondale council’s vote follows on the heels of a similar move last week by the Glenwood Springs City Council, which sent a letter to Colorado’s Congressional delegation supporting an effort to repeal the exemption.
Although most natural gas drilling activity is still several miles removed from either Carbondale or Glenwood Springs, a number of as-yet undeveloped leases do exist in the Thompson Creek area in western Pitkin County.
Thompson Creek is a major tributary of the Crystal River. The potential for drilling in that area has led to concerns that chemicals could potentially make their way into the Crystal and eventually the Roaring Fork River.
In 2005, regulation of hydraulic fracturing fluids used by natural gas producers was exempted from the federal regulations designed to protect drinking water, according to the resolution signed by Carbondale trustees Tuesday.
“Protection of the public water supplies is best accomplished by measures that prevent contamination, rather than remediating and treating contaminated water supplies after the fact,” the resolution reads.
It continues, “All Carbondale and Garfield County residents and taxpayers have economically benefited from the presence of industries involved with the extraction of minerals and natural resources.”
However, “there is a concern that some of the chemical constituents injected during hydraulic fracturing may have potential adverse health effects.”
The resolution passed on a 5-0 vote with no discussion. Trustee Stacey Bernot and Mayor Michael Hassig were absent from Tuesday night’s meeting.
Last week’s unanimous Glenwood council vote didn’t come without opposition from industry representatives.
Charles McLean, president and CEO for Denver Research Group Inc., asked the council to educate themselves on the frac’ing process and the newly adopted Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission rules before voting on whether to send the letter. He said those rules have already adequately addressed the issue of disclosing what chemicals are used in the process.
Contact John Stroud: 384-9160jstroud@postindependent.com
The Carbondale council’s vote follows on the heels of a similar move last week by the Glenwood Springs City Council, which sent a letter to Colorado’s Congressional delegation supporting an effort to repeal the exemption.
Although most natural gas drilling activity is still several miles removed from either Carbondale or Glenwood Springs, a number of as-yet undeveloped leases do exist in the Thompson Creek area in western Pitkin County.
Thompson Creek is a major tributary of the Crystal River. The potential for drilling in that area has led to concerns that chemicals could potentially make their way into the Crystal and eventually the Roaring Fork River.
In 2005, regulation of hydraulic fracturing fluids used by natural gas producers was exempted from the federal regulations designed to protect drinking water, according to the resolution signed by Carbondale trustees Tuesday.
“Protection of the public water supplies is best accomplished by measures that prevent contamination, rather than remediating and treating contaminated water supplies after the fact,” the resolution reads.
It continues, “All Carbondale and Garfield County residents and taxpayers have economically benefited from the presence of industries involved with the extraction of minerals and natural resources.”
However, “there is a concern that some of the chemical constituents injected during hydraulic fracturing may have potential adverse health effects.”
The resolution passed on a 5-0 vote with no discussion. Trustee Stacey Bernot and Mayor Michael Hassig were absent from Tuesday night’s meeting.
Last week’s unanimous Glenwood council vote didn’t come without opposition from industry representatives.
Charles McLean, president and CEO for Denver Research Group Inc., asked the council to educate themselves on the frac’ing process and the newly adopted Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission rules before voting on whether to send the letter. He said those rules have already adequately addressed the issue of disclosing what chemicals are used in the process.
Contact John Stroud: 384-9160jstroud@postindependent.com
