Column: Let’s advocate for stronger fracking safeguards
The Leagues of Women Voters of Larimer County and of Colorado have made extensive study of hydraulic fracturing in the past four years. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a process where up to 10 million gallons of water, sand and chemicals are injected as deep as 10,000 feet below the surface through a horizontally drilled well. Although fracturing has been around for decades, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling only began in 1999. Intensive drilling for natural gas and oil started in the North Front Range in 2009 as a way toward national energy independence.
Drilling has proceeded at a frantic rate. Earthworks has identified 85,000 wells in the state. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) lists 54,000 active wells, with 23,000 in Weld County alone.
Television ads claim that fracking is totally safe. The following disagree with those claims:
1. National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) study of the atmosphere’s composition near Erie, found air high in chemical pollutants such as methane from oil and gas production in Weld County. (Methane is 25 times worse than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.) Other NOAA study sites in the U.S. had no such readings.
2. A University of Colorado study confirmed the NOAA results, finding air pollution three-times greater than what was reported by the EPA. The UC study found pollution from Weld sources in Larimer County, including Rocky Mountain National Park.
3. The National Academy of Sciences found that water contamination occurs from spills during drilling and from lack of well integrity. Concrete and seals leak as wells and pipelines age.
4. Fracking fluids can contain harmful chemicals, such as benzene, a known carcinogen. Leaks and spills can contaminate ground water. Colorado ranks second in the gallons of carcinogen-laced fracking fluids used in oil and gas extraction, according to the Denver Post.
5. In an April 2015 settlement agreement, Noble Energy agreed to pay fines totaling $4.95 million ($1.47 million to Colorado, the rest to the federal government) and to make $60 million in upgrades to reduce massive pollution from its tanks, the Denver Post reported.
6. Historically, only about 20 percent of companies reporting an infraction were fined. Fines have been small. In 2012, Colorado collected $278,600 in fines from all drillers
7. Nearly half of new oil and gas wells on federal and Indian lands in Colorado have never been inspected, according to reporting by the Coloradoan.
After completing their studies, the Colorado League of Women Voters adopted a statement in 2013 advocating the following safeguards:
a. Public hearings to be held in the community of the proposed drilling, with timely citizen notification.
b. Strong environmental and safety regulations of water and air quality, including pre- and post- testing of water wells and air, around drilling sites.
c. A user-friendly COGCC website for filing citizen complaints and reporting COGCC resolutions.
d. Transparency in reporting of all drilling chemicals.
e. Adequate number of state well site inspectors.
f. Use of environmentally friendly extraction methods and equipment.
g. Monitoring of water quantity used, reuse of produced water in drilling.
h. Focus on sustainability by balancing environmental, economic and human needs without compromising future generations.
Please join us if you’d like to participate in our continuing study of fracking in Larimer County at www.lwv-larimercounty.org.
Georgia Locker is part of the League of Women Voters of Larimer County’s sustainability team.