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Although it seems a foregone conclusion in the making, the Garfield County commissioners will be asked on Monday to formally confirm that any gas drilling within the Battlement Mesa community boundaries must undergo the modern version of a special-use permit review before work can begin.
“We're pretty sure that they've come around to our point of view, we just want to hear them say it publicly,” said Paul Light, a Battlement Mesa resident and board member of two citizen action groups — the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance and the Western Colorado Congress.
Light said there had been indications that one of the commissioners, whom he declined to identify, believed that the county has no authority concerning efforts to find and pump natural gas in the neighborhood. Under normal circumstances, it is the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission that issues permits and monitors the industry for compliance with state and local regulations.
The issue came up when Antero Resources Corp., which has leased the mineral rights underneath Battlement Mesa from ExxonMobil, announced recently that it would soon begin drilling for natural gas within the boundaries of the Battlement Mesa Planned Unit Development.
According to Light, it appears that Antero itself thought that access to the gas underneath was a “use by right,” which in land-use lingo means some activity that can be pursued with little or no government oversight or interference.
Light said the company was ready earlier this year to begin work on “the infamous ‘G' pad,” one of 10 drilling pads that have been planned for various sites around the community.
But Antero learned from county officials in June that the project must first go through a special use review. The review was included as a requirement of the original PUD, approved in 1975 and amended in 1980 during what is known locally as the “oil shale boom,” when Battlement Mesa was built by Exxon Corp. to house its workers in the oil shale industry.
Although now referred to as a “major impact review” under Garfield County's new land use code, which went into effect in January of this year, it essentially is the same process. The regulations call for hearings before the planning and zoning commission as well as the board of county commissioners.
Light said he was told that the review of G pad would have taken at least 120 days and that Antero had to get the pad up and operating more quickly than that in order to preserve its mineral leases, so the pad was moved outside of the PUD boundary.
As announced, the company was initially planning to build 10 pads within Battlement Mesa's boundaries, and to drill as many as 20 wells from each pad, for a potential total of 200 wells.
In theory, county staff members confirmed, a “major impact review” could result either in county-imposed conditions before drilling can commence, or outright denial of Antero's application if the company fails to comply with county requirements.
Judy Jordan, the county's oil and gas industry liaison, said that in her latest talks with Antero, the company still was referring to its plans for 10 pads within the PUD boundaries, even though one had already been started just outside the boundary.
Antero vice president Kevin Kilstrom, who has held meetings with Battlement Mesa residents and worked with Jordan, could not be reached for comment for this story.
Light said he hoped to have others with him at the county commissioners' meeting on July 6, to testify on behalf of the Battlement Mesa residents. Light said the discussion is scheduled for some time after 10 a.m. in the meeting room at the county administration building, 108 Eighth St. in downtown Glenwood Springs.
jcolson@postindependent.com
“We're pretty sure that they've come around to our point of view, we just want to hear them say it publicly,” said Paul Light, a Battlement Mesa resident and board member of two citizen action groups — the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance and the Western Colorado Congress.
Light said there had been indications that one of the commissioners, whom he declined to identify, believed that the county has no authority concerning efforts to find and pump natural gas in the neighborhood. Under normal circumstances, it is the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission that issues permits and monitors the industry for compliance with state and local regulations.
The issue came up when Antero Resources Corp., which has leased the mineral rights underneath Battlement Mesa from ExxonMobil, announced recently that it would soon begin drilling for natural gas within the boundaries of the Battlement Mesa Planned Unit Development.
According to Light, it appears that Antero itself thought that access to the gas underneath was a “use by right,” which in land-use lingo means some activity that can be pursued with little or no government oversight or interference.
Light said the company was ready earlier this year to begin work on “the infamous ‘G' pad,” one of 10 drilling pads that have been planned for various sites around the community.
But Antero learned from county officials in June that the project must first go through a special use review. The review was included as a requirement of the original PUD, approved in 1975 and amended in 1980 during what is known locally as the “oil shale boom,” when Battlement Mesa was built by Exxon Corp. to house its workers in the oil shale industry.
Although now referred to as a “major impact review” under Garfield County's new land use code, which went into effect in January of this year, it essentially is the same process. The regulations call for hearings before the planning and zoning commission as well as the board of county commissioners.
Light said he was told that the review of G pad would have taken at least 120 days and that Antero had to get the pad up and operating more quickly than that in order to preserve its mineral leases, so the pad was moved outside of the PUD boundary.
As announced, the company was initially planning to build 10 pads within Battlement Mesa's boundaries, and to drill as many as 20 wells from each pad, for a potential total of 200 wells.
In theory, county staff members confirmed, a “major impact review” could result either in county-imposed conditions before drilling can commence, or outright denial of Antero's application if the company fails to comply with county requirements.
Judy Jordan, the county's oil and gas industry liaison, said that in her latest talks with Antero, the company still was referring to its plans for 10 pads within the PUD boundaries, even though one had already been started just outside the boundary.
Antero vice president Kevin Kilstrom, who has held meetings with Battlement Mesa residents and worked with Jordan, could not be reached for comment for this story.
Light said he hoped to have others with him at the county commissioners' meeting on July 6, to testify on behalf of the Battlement Mesa residents. Light said the discussion is scheduled for some time after 10 a.m. in the meeting room at the county administration building, 108 Eighth St. in downtown Glenwood Springs.
jcolson@postindependent.com
