Crossposted from UNBOSSED
From our friends at the Oil and Gas Accountability Project (OGAP).
Colorado is in the midst of an onslaught by the oil and gas industry. Drill rigs, pipelines, tanks and pits dot more and more of my birth state's landscape from Fort Collins to Durango and Trinidad to Craig. Its all over the place and its causing a hell of alot of problems.
This summer the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) will update the state rules protecting public health, landowners, and the environment against irresponsible oil & gas drillers. A draft rule is now out for public comment.
The new rule is a step in the right direction but it is lacking in many areas.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE), and the Department of Wildlife (DOW) along with many interested parties have been actively involved in an intensive rulemaking process since August of 2007. There have been many opportunities for formal comments on the State's proposed drafts, many hours of stakeholder meetings, and currently party status applications for the formal hearing with prehearing statements and alternate language proposals.
You can read the proposed rule here (pdf).
As written, the draft would prevent erosion from stormwater on drill sites, restrict drill pits near groundwater and municipal watersheds, limit odors from drill sites, and the mandate a one-half mile buffer from homes and schools for waste pits. That is an OK start but it is not nearly what is needed.
The draft rule needs to:
* require landowner consent before an operator can put a drill pit on the landowner's property;
* require drillers to fully disclose to the public -- and not just to the COGCC -- the inventory of the chemicals they use and the concentrations and amounts of these chemicals;
* clearly affirm drilling-impacted landowners' right to appeal decisions to the COGCC (and not to have to directly go to court);
* prevent drillers in violation of COGCC rules from getting new drill permits.
TAKE ACTION
If you are a current resident of Colorado, please write the Colorado Oil & Gas Commission.
When you do, please include three main points: (1) the new draft is a step in the right direction, (2) it needs improvement to better protect public health, landowners, and the environment, and (3) if you are directly affected, please tell the COGCC in your letter how your land/water/air/landowner rights have been impacted by oil and gas development.
DRAFT LETTER (Please modify if you can. Personalized letter text and/or subject headers will increase the impact of your letter.)
I am writing to comment on the draft oil and gas rules. Overall the draft addresses a broad array of oil and gas regulations that are necessary to ensure communities and landowners are protected from harmful practices and environmental impacts, while still allowing industry to operate productively in Colorado.
I fully support the provisions that prevent erosion from storm water on well sites, restrict the use of drilling pits near groundwater and municipal watersheds, restricts limits on odors from well sites and creates a setback from homes and schools for wasted pits. These rules are a good step forward but they need to be strengthened in certain areas to protect our public health, environment and landowners.
The rules need to include a strong requirement that companies maintain an inventory of the chemicals that they use during the drilling and operation of wells. When these chemicals are spilled, the companies need to publicly disclose the concentrations and amounts of these chemicals. Too many spills, leaks and unplanned events are allowing these chemicals into our environment without any recourse for communities and landowners. Public disclosure of the chemicals that are being used, and their concentrations and amounts, is necessary to hold companies accountable for what they are using in our communities.
The rules need to affirm the ability of impacted landowners to appeal decisions regarding wells to the Commission and not to have to directly go to court. Additionally, the Commission should require landowner consent before an operator can use a drilling pit on the landowner’s property. Finally, the rules should also include provisions that prevent operators who are not complying with COGCC rules on bonding or waste management from getting permits for new wells.
Sincerely,
Finally, there will be a public comment meeting held all day on June 10th, 2008 in Grand Junction, CO. The Commission is setting aside the entire day to listen to the concerns of citizens regarding the rules and the impacts from oil and gas development. The location of the meeting is the Two Rivers Convention Center, Colorado River Room.
Please Attend!!
And thank you OGAP for the information!