Success of reclamation is not regulated

According to Commissioners Craig Meis and Janet Rowland, gas well pads are good for creating wildlife habitat. This statement was made during a discussion concerning Mesa County’s opinions about the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s rules to protect animal habitat.

Several people heartily disagreed with this statement: Dan Robinson, who is challenging Meis for his seat on the Commission (District 1), Dickie Lewis, who is opposing Rowland for her District 3 seat and Randy Hampton, spokesperson for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Jim Doody, who is trying to petition to get on the Republican ballot to replace Meis, is quoted as having a “hard time believing” what Meis said is reality.

I disagree with Meis’ and Rowland’s views. I know first hand the issue of animal habitat protection because I have spent 12 years working with organizations who work on the gas patch problems of Garfield County, the toxic waste pit problems of Mesa County and saving our watershed from irresponsible drilling.

Have you noticed the wide bare swath above Route 65 toward the Grand Mesa? Do you see any green growth or any foliage an animal could enjoy? You won’t. Our soil doesn’t bounce back once it has been laid bare by the drillers for a gas well or a pipeline. The land is purposely cleared around gas wells to prevent fires and explosions.

There are no timelines as to reclamation success, no inspections by the state and no penalties if reclamation is not successful. What does grow is noxious weeds in the barren areas. Final reclamation in Colorado is a joke. The low bond of $200,000 covers all the wells an operator owns in the entire state is inadequate.

Do we, as citizens of a beautiful state, have no interest in ensuring the sensible rules the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission has been working on are passed? I hope you attend the June 10 meeting at Two Rivers Convention Center, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and speak out.

PEGGY RAWLINS
Grand Junction

Atheists have the right to ignore invocation

Regarding the atheists and the Grand Junction City Council: I am with Commissioner Doug Thomason all the way.

I, too, am tired of the negative God-bashing done by the very few, 13 members, of the Western Colorado Atheists. There is a significant majority of those in the valley who do believe in God. I am sorry if someone feels offended by what another is saying, however, we do live in a free society and we also have our First Amendment rights.

I believe in God. If you are offended by this statement, don’t read it. If you are offended by the invocation, although I can’t possibly see how, then just don’t listen. Our government was founded on Christian principles. We cannot forget that and we should not allow a very small group of small-minded people to stop us from hearing the invocation.

Stay the course council members, you have a majority backing you.

CHRIS MENZIES
Grand Junction

Rifle senior class starts our on right foot

Congratulations to the 2008 Rifle senior class and to the audience at the graduation exercise. I have been to many such exercises but the two groups were the most courteous and polite that I have seen in many years.

Perhaps schools in the more “metropolitan” area of this valley could take a lesson from a smaller upriver school.

CLIFFORD L. MOORE
Grand Junction

This entry was posted on Friday, May 23rd, 2008 at 6:33 am and is filed under Printed letters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.