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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Garfield County's citizen planners this week recommended that a set of natural-gas wells that have been operating without the proper permits for years be granted those permits and allowed to keep operating.
The county planning and zoning commission voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to recommend that the board of county commissioners approve two special-use permits, for two well pads inside the boundaries of the Battlement Mesa Planned Unit Development.
The wells, now owned by Williams Production RMT Co., were originally started by Barrett Resources Corp. in 1990, under an agreement between Barrett, Battlement Mesa Partners and Battlement Mesa Realty Partners, according to research by the county planning department.
One of the pads is now the site of drilling operations, while the other pad is currently limited to production only, although future drilling from the second pad apparently is possible, according to testimony at the P&Z hearing.
The hearing, which started at 7:15 p.m. and lasted for more than three hours, drew a number of Battlement Mesa residents — members of the Battlement Concerned Citizens group.
The BCC, according to co-chair Dave Devanney, has been collectively “distressed” by the announcement last summer of plans by Antero Resources to install 10 well pads, with up to 200 wells in all, within the boundaries of the PUD.
“Our feelings of outrage and frustration were further heightened” by the news of Williams' 19 years of drilling and pumping without the proper permits. The lack of permits came to light as county staffers were conducting research into the PUD and the extraction of minerals within its boundaries.
“We see this as a serious failure of the regulatory system,” said Devanney regarding the lapse of 19 years without permits. He urged the county to impose “a significant … monetary penalty” on “both the applicant and the operator” of the wells.
Members of the public were limited by P&Z Chairman Philip Vaughan to three minutes for their statements, but some gave up their time to permit Devanney to speak longer and enumerate a list of conditions that the BCC hoped would be imposed by the P&Z.
Another Battlement Mesa resident, Ron Galterio, termed Williams' gas drilling to be “illegal operations” that for years were ignored because they were in remote parts of the PUD and not near human habitation. But with growth in the community, he indicated, that would no longer be true.
“It appears this is a test of gas producers to establish supremacy” over residential neighbors, declared Susan Smith, reading a letter from a friend who could not attend. She also noted that the county regulations “allow denial” of activities that are not deemed in the public interest.
Commission members, however, limited their questions to technical issues and their remarks to procedural matters.
Some issues that came up included a recommendation for a deadline for disposal of pit liners used to prevent leakage from ponds holding various liquids used in the drilling process; and removal of “cuttings,” the soil and other material brought to the surface during drilling.
Williams attorney Jim Borgel argued for permission to leave half the cuttings in place after completion of the drilling process, which he said had been done in other locations.
“It's just mud, it's just dirt,” said Commissioner John Kuersten, who disclosed early in the meeting that his company does work for Williams but did not recuse himself from the discussion or the vote.
Kuersten was in favor of allowing 50 percent of the cuttings to be left in place, although planner Kathy Eastly recommended that the cuttings be considered waste material and they be removed.
“It's not waste, it's just a function of the mineral extraction process,” protested Borgel, prompting Commissioner Greg McKennis to retort, “That raises some issues with me. I don't understand how it can be waste but not waste.”
The commission, however, concurred with Borgel and recommended that half the cuttings be permitted to remain on the site.
The commission endorsed a number of other conditions recommended by the county's planning staff, and passed them on to the board of county commissioners.
The application for special use permits is to go before the BOCC on Dec. 14.
jcolson@postindependent.com
The county planning and zoning commission voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to recommend that the board of county commissioners approve two special-use permits, for two well pads inside the boundaries of the Battlement Mesa Planned Unit Development.
The wells, now owned by Williams Production RMT Co., were originally started by Barrett Resources Corp. in 1990, under an agreement between Barrett, Battlement Mesa Partners and Battlement Mesa Realty Partners, according to research by the county planning department.
One of the pads is now the site of drilling operations, while the other pad is currently limited to production only, although future drilling from the second pad apparently is possible, according to testimony at the P&Z hearing.
The hearing, which started at 7:15 p.m. and lasted for more than three hours, drew a number of Battlement Mesa residents — members of the Battlement Concerned Citizens group.
The BCC, according to co-chair Dave Devanney, has been collectively “distressed” by the announcement last summer of plans by Antero Resources to install 10 well pads, with up to 200 wells in all, within the boundaries of the PUD.
“Our feelings of outrage and frustration were further heightened” by the news of Williams' 19 years of drilling and pumping without the proper permits. The lack of permits came to light as county staffers were conducting research into the PUD and the extraction of minerals within its boundaries.
“We see this as a serious failure of the regulatory system,” said Devanney regarding the lapse of 19 years without permits. He urged the county to impose “a significant … monetary penalty” on “both the applicant and the operator” of the wells.
Members of the public were limited by P&Z Chairman Philip Vaughan to three minutes for their statements, but some gave up their time to permit Devanney to speak longer and enumerate a list of conditions that the BCC hoped would be imposed by the P&Z.
Another Battlement Mesa resident, Ron Galterio, termed Williams' gas drilling to be “illegal operations” that for years were ignored because they were in remote parts of the PUD and not near human habitation. But with growth in the community, he indicated, that would no longer be true.
“It appears this is a test of gas producers to establish supremacy” over residential neighbors, declared Susan Smith, reading a letter from a friend who could not attend. She also noted that the county regulations “allow denial” of activities that are not deemed in the public interest.
Commission members, however, limited their questions to technical issues and their remarks to procedural matters.
Some issues that came up included a recommendation for a deadline for disposal of pit liners used to prevent leakage from ponds holding various liquids used in the drilling process; and removal of “cuttings,” the soil and other material brought to the surface during drilling.
Williams attorney Jim Borgel argued for permission to leave half the cuttings in place after completion of the drilling process, which he said had been done in other locations.
“It's just mud, it's just dirt,” said Commissioner John Kuersten, who disclosed early in the meeting that his company does work for Williams but did not recuse himself from the discussion or the vote.
Kuersten was in favor of allowing 50 percent of the cuttings to be left in place, although planner Kathy Eastly recommended that the cuttings be considered waste material and they be removed.
“It's not waste, it's just a function of the mineral extraction process,” protested Borgel, prompting Commissioner Greg McKennis to retort, “That raises some issues with me. I don't understand how it can be waste but not waste.”
The commission, however, concurred with Borgel and recommended that half the cuttings be permitted to remain on the site.
The commission endorsed a number of other conditions recommended by the county's planning staff, and passed them on to the board of county commissioners.
The application for special use permits is to go before the BOCC on Dec. 14.
jcolson@postindependent.com
