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The editors of The Daily Sentinel are to be commended for taking a bold and forward-thinking stand on the issue of oil and gas drilling in Colorado and thus, by extension, in Mesa County (”Frozen sludge is not reason to freeze rules,” March 9).
As clearly evidenced by the guest column of Meg Collins, president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (”Colorado’s regulatory environment is becoming less industry friendly,” March 9), there is a vibrant and on-going effort in our state to achieve a more responsible balance between the interests of the energy industry and the protections to which the public health, wildlife, and environment of Colorado are entitled.
Just-as-clearly evidenced by the now-reported spills near Rifle (”Drilling mud spills go unreported, draining into gulch near Rifle, Frozen waterfall contains mud,” March 7), there is good reason for the evolving new regulatory scheme to become “less industry friendly” — because the industry all-too-often proves it can’t be trusted.
Meanwhile, Mesa County’s energy master plan, tout — and is unlikely to provide any protection to any aspect of our public health, wildlife, or environment until 2009 (if ever).
Indeed, while Meis promised the Grand Junction and Palisade city councils on that date that the first priority of the energy master plan would be protecting the Plateau Creek watershed, nothing whatsoever has been done to further that objective since.
At the same time, applications for drilling permits are increasing (”Drilling permits up by 50 percent; many in Garfield County,” March 7). But Meis’s “Energy Policy Opportunity Map” has proven less useful than anticipated in timely conveying Mesa County’s comments thereon to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Therefore, while (as the Sentinel opined) “frozen sludge is not reason to freeze rules,” that same sludge — plus the accumulating related evidence — suggests that it may also be time for the Sentinel to call for a temporary moratorium on new drilling in Mesa County (as was impliedly authorized by the Colorado Supreme Court last year).
BILL HUGENBERG
Grand Junction
3 Responses to “Drilling moratorium needed in Mesa County”
Posted March 10th, 2008 at 2:50 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
What we need a interruption of flow FROM Colorado TO any other natural gas rich State that refuses to drill, regardless of excuse.
Environmental concerns in other States do not supersede environment concerns in Colorado.
That would include all offshore fields, known and unknown.
ANWR in Alaska. The environmental whackos have blocked that for much too long for fraudulent reasons.
Posted March 10th, 2008 at 3:55 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Moratorium on drilling in colorado? Are you nuts? Then we could become part of the problem, like florida, California, the Great Lakes Region, instead of part of the solution.
My guess is there is more to the story on the frozen spill than we are seeing reported. Like perhaps since it was mostly frozen and snow covered it was not noticeable for some time.
We need to work on the rest of the U S, especially ANWR to get busy and start the drilling, then drilling here would take care of itself and slow down. If we don’t start going after our own resources very soon and reduce the dependency on foreign oil we are going to be in VERY SERIOUS TROUBLE.
Posted March 10th, 2008 at 6:48 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
The probable reason for the “frozen” spill is the remedial activities during the winter would be far more destructive than the spill has presented so far.
They’ll probably run a dozer down below and dam it off so it can’t travel, then whhen it dries up enough to get the vacuum trucks in to suck it up and haul it off, it will be easier, less destructive, and a whole lot cheaper.
And folks, keep in mind, any fines and or penalties will be passed on to you.
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