Greeley weighs proposal to add more fracking wells within city

[madamesilverspurs]

Today in Greeley, the city at the heart of Colorado’s Front Range “frack country,” a seven-member planning commission will consider a proposal by oil-and-gas company Synergy to add three more well-drilling facilities “and related equipment” to a site already being drilled in a scenic residential neighborhood roughly three miles from the city center. Synergy is one of the companies working the booming business in natural-gas extraction in the Wattenberg Field, which stretches under most of north-east Colorado. The boom is mostly the product of the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing, the extraction technique where millions of gallons of frack fluid — a mixture of water, chemicals and sand — is blasted deep into the earth to free trapped gas.

In the last few years, residents in cities across the region have raised concerns about the dangers the heavy-industrial activity might pose to public health as it encroaches on residential areas and how it may also be diminishing above-ground real estate values. In the last twelve months, Front Range cities like Broomfield, Fort Collins, Lafayette, Longmont and Loveland have passed drilling bans and moratoriums, at least until more research is concluded on the effects fracking is visiting on the populations. The movement to limit drilling has met fierce resistance from oil and gas companies. For now, there is no ban or moratorium in Greeley. Indeed, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in May approved proposals to drill more than a hundred new wells within Greeley city limits.

Greeley’s planning commission is tasked with considering zoning and development questions but it also represents residents on matters of air-quality and natural-resource protection. There are now thousands of gas wells being worked all around the traditionally agricultural town in Weld County. Maps of area wells show Greeley as a shrinking “donut hole” surrounded by drilling.

more at link:
http://coloradoindependent.com/128766/greeley-weighs-proposal-to-add-more-fracking-wells-within-city-limits

[kestrel91316]

1. And when the water supply becomes permanently contaminated,

the feedlot and packing plant will continue to use it, and Americans will be unsuspectingly ingesting millions of pounds of tainted meat. Just watch.

[mountain grammy]

2. and that's if there's any water supply left when their finished.

The amount of water used for fracking is enormous. A very irresponsible use of precious water for a few to get rich.

[locks]

3. Thanks to you and the CO Indep.

Greeley and Weld CO sure getting their 15 minutes even on national TV what with the 51st state proposal and more fracking coming up in the same week. Did you see in the Daily Camera our Boulder Dem Cong Jared Polis filed a lawsuit against Sundance Energy yesterday for fracking very near his property in Weld County? Then dropped it today; not sure why. Hope he'll keep supporting all the grass roots effort Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, Lafayette, Broomfield and Ft. Collins have put out. It has been a lot of work but will be well worth it if CO bans fracking in my lifetime. Tonite on CO Inside Out Eric Sonderman and a woman from the Indep. Institute said it would be the biggest fight in CO history and that Oil and Gas is winning. But had to admit they may be winning in court with the help of Hick but not in the court of public opinion.

Sure wish they'd take all their equipment and money back to Texas and help them to secede.

[madamesilverspurs]

4. Thanks, locks!

Our county commissioners sold us out completely; city council, those members who cared, gave up in the face of huge money and threats from the oil companies that "we can out-lawyer you". Cory Gardner sold his soul to the oil industry long ago, and has zero interest in even pretending to give a damn about us. We're facing terrible odds.

But we are a thousand Davids, and one day we'll find just the right stone at just the right time.

This is our home, and we are NOT giving up.