oil and gas drilling and fracking threaten water health · 2019-12-16 · Potentially causing earthquakes Clean Water Action is organizing in communities across the Front Range to

Colorado Currents | Summer Update 2012www.CleanWaterAction.org

Drilling and fracking are marching across the Front Range of Colorado, into suburban neighborhoods beside homes, schools, and playgrounds. Local environmental groups like Clean Water Action are being inundated with requests from residents to help protect their homes and families. Drilling and fracking for oil and gas can have serious impacts, including:

➤➤ Water and air quality degradation

➤➤ Decreased property values and impacts to mortgages

➤➤ Wildlife habitat and natural area degradation

➤➤ Degradation of river flows and our limited water resources

➤➤ Increases in noise levels and truck traffic near drilling areas

➤➤ Potentially causing earthquakes

Clean Water Action is organizing in communities across the Front Range to educate residents about the negative impacts of drilling and fracking and encouraging people to take action. Drilling and fracking is on the tip of everyone’s tongue and has seen significant attention at the local, state, and federal levels.

U.S. Representatives Mike Coffman (CO-6), Scott Tipton (CO-3), and Doug Lamborn (CO-5) have sponsored a trio of bad bills in Congress that would fast-track leasing and permitting for drilling and fracking on public lands. Envi-ronmental groups call these the “3 Stooges” bills but they are

anything but funny. Clean Water Action does not support this kind of public-lands giveaway legislation. However, it is not hard to see why these Representatives would sponsor such Big Oil and gas friendly legislation:

➤➤ H.R. 4382, sponsored by Rep. Mike Coffman has received $164,800 in oil and gas contributions.

➤➤ H.R. 4381, sponsored by Rep. Scott Tipton has received $104,600 in oil and gas contributions.

➤➤ H.R. 4383, sponsored by Rep. Doug Lamborn has received $137,962 in oil and gas contributions.

Continued on page 3

ACTION FOR CLEAN WATER

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF

inside: Letter from the Program Director, p. 2 Legislative Roundup, p. 4 Holding Congress Accountable, p. 4 Save the Colorado, p. 5 Coal Ash, p. 6 Frack Tracks, p. 7 Ways to Make a Difference, p. 7

SummerUpdate2012 Colorado currents

oil and gas drilling and fracking threaten water & health

Organizers from Clean Water Action and other coalition organizations on the steps of the Capital in Denver welcoming Colorado Congressmen Tipton, Gardner, Lamborn, and Coffman for their field hearing in the Natural Resource Committee on federal fracking regulations.

2Colorado Currents | Summer Update 2012 www.CleanWaterAction.org

From the Colorado Program Director

Gary Wockner

Hello Friends of Clean Water Action!

Whew! We are busy!

As you can see from this newsletter, there’s never a dull moment in the fight to protect clean air and clean water in Colorado. Your support is crucial to our work — thank you for your support.

First, some good news: The threat of oil and gas drilling and fracking across the suburban Front Range has caused all sorts of people to take action, get to know each other, speak at public meetings, and create new alliances. Thousands of suburban Coloradans are finding their voice and re-engaging in our democracy at the local level. In Aurora, Longmont, Erie, Centennial, Fort Collins, Commerce City, Denver and beyond, people are standing up and speaking out. Through adversity, we are uniting to fight this threat.

Of course, the bad news is that the threat continues to march forward. And, unfortunately, Governor John Hickenlooper has been a major obstacle in our fight. Rather than placing a high priority on protecting our air, land, water, and private property from these polluting industries it appears the state government is blindly siding with the Oil and Gas Drilling and Fracking industry who are trying to ram more drilling and fracking into suburban Colorado.

Recently, the state government said it was going to file a lawsuit against Longmont because the city was trying to protect itself from drilling and fracking — it’s more than disheartening to see our state government act in this way. We need your help to put pressure on Governor Hickenlooper. When you see a representative from Clean Water Action at your door, please take the time to sign your name and join our fight for clean air and clean water in Colorado. We are sending letters to officials, meeting with officeholders, holding events in schools, and generating tons of phone calls and emails.

Thank you, again, for your support. Don’t give up — stand up, speak out, and let’s go!

Gary WocknerColorado Program DirectorClean Water Action

drillingContinued from page 1

These Colorado congressmen, who are all on the powerful Natural Resources Committee also oppose federal regu-lations on drilling and fracking — specifically proposed Department of Interior rules requiring disclosure of fracking chemicals and strengthening well safety. Clean Water Action fully supports increased federal regulation on drilling and fracking to protect water and health.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission con-vened a “Setback Stakeholder’s Group” to determine how close drilling and fracking operations can be to homes and schools. Scientific studies indicate that cancer causing air emissions may cause health impacts to people up to a half mile from a drill site. Water impacts, noise and light impacts from 24/7 drilling and fracking, and impacts on home values all serious concens. Clean Water Action supports significantly larger setbacks to protect people from oil and gas drilling and fracking.

“Fracktivists” in communities across the Front Range are fighting for stronger regulations on drilling and fracking as companies are leasing and drilling close to homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Citizens in Fort Collins, Longmont, Erie, Fredrick, Loveland, Boulder, Aurora, Centennial and other communities have weighed in on this issue at city council meetings, organized protests, and neighborhood meetings. Many of these communities have since seen moratoriums put in place within city limits to delay drilling and fracking activity. Clean Water Action continues to support “fractivist” citizen groups who are working tirelessly at the local level.

In the past three months, Clean Water Action knocked on 17,500 doors and gained support from more than 4,000 new members. Nearly 2000 letters, postcards and public comments from Clean Water Action members have now been delivered to elected officials, government agencies and decision-makers. There is power in these growing numbers which can be organized to protect Colorado communities from drilling and fracking.

Take action at www.cleanwater.org/Protect-Our-Drinking-Water-from-Fracking to weigh in on important drilling and fracking safeguards to protect drinking water. Your com-ments to the Environmental Protection Agency on diesel used in fracking will help secure stronger protections.

Colorado Currents | Summer Update 2012 3www.CleanWaterAction.org

Above: Activists in Erie, Colorado gather for a community meeting to learn how they can take action to protect their families and homes from the drilling and fracking going on in their neighborhoods.

Right: Canvassers Sequoyah Healy-Louer and Derrick Maynard with a supporter giving a thumbs-up to Clean Water Action in Denver.

Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund gratefully acknowledge 40th Anniversary Sponsorship support from

Aveda,NewBelgiumBrewing,We-Care.com,SurveyMonkeyContribute,and the CleanWaterActionVisa®CardfromCapitalOne®(www.cleanwatercard.org)

The State Legislature ended its 2012 session in May. Much like last year’s session, 2012 saw its fair share of anti-environmen-tal legislation proposed in the State House. Environmental groups were on the defensive to protect Coloradan’s desires for clean air, clean water, and clean energy. Clean Water Action joined with allies to defeat more than a dozen bills that would have rolled back Colorado’s progress on renewable energy and oil and gas drilling rules. This included:

➤➤ HB 1172, 1171, and 1102 – A trio of bills that would gut the Clean Air, Clean Jobs Act and limit State efforts to address climate change. DEFEATED!

➤➤ SB 88 and HB 1356 – A bill that would pre-empt local governments from regulation drilling and punishing any efforts to use local authority to oversee drilling by restricting severance taxes. DEFEATED!

➤➤ HB 1322 – A bill forcing the federal government to sell national treasures such as the Colorado National Monument and Maroon Bells to the State. This would cost the taxpayers millions of dollars and end access to over 23 million acres of public lands. DEFEATED!

Clean Water Action thanks the environmental leadership shown by State Senator Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora), who introduced important legislation this session to increase regulations on drilling and fracking. Her bill, SB 107 Water Rights Protection Act, was focused on keeping harmful chemicals out of water sources by directing rule-making around best practices in detecting leaks and water quality test-ing before and after drilling. This bill also addressed issues specific to Aurora residents by requiring the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to create rules addressing drilling around radioactive material, Superfund toxic sites, and explosives and munitions. SB 107 passed the Senate Judiciary in a 4 to 3 vote, but was killed in the Senate Appropriations committee.

Clean Water Action’s campaign to hold U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman accountable for his votes in Congress is building momentum. His constituents across the district have heard first-hand through Clean Water Action’s door-to-door education drive about his record on federal drilling and fracking regulations and his unwavering support for Big Oil. In June, Clean Water Action and three District residents delivered more than 800 postcards to Congressman Coffman’s office requesting that he protect public lands from drilling and fracking and support federal investments in clean and renewable energy sources.

In Southern Colorado, community outreach spotlighted Rep. Scott Tipton’s record. In Pueblo, the campaign featured a television ad on local and cable channels in the district that featured one of his constituents voicing frustration with high gasoline prices and disappointment in the

Congressman’s repeated support for tax breaks benefiting Big Oil. An accom-panying door-to-door drive delivered more than 300 postcards expressing constituents’ concerns.

The current U.S. House is the most anti-environmental in history. There have been 77 votes to undermine Clean Air Act protections, 39 votes to weaken public lands and wildlife protections, 37 votes to block action on climate change, and 31 votes to undermine Clean Water Act protections. Congressmen Coffman andTip-ton have voted in favor of nearly all of these anti-environmental bills.

Urge your Congressman to stand up for clean air and clean water at www.cleanwater.org/action/dirty-water-politics-again.

4Colorado Currents | Summer Update 2012 www.CleanWaterAction.org

legislative roundup 2012

Sen. Morgan Carroll

Holding Congress Accountable

Clean Water Action and constituents deliver 820 postcards to Congressman Mike Coffman’s office.

Left: 6th District Congressional Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) incumbent. Right: 3rd District Congressional Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Cortez) incumbent.

Colorado Currents | Summer Update 2012 5www.CleanWaterAction.org

Clean Water Fund is helping to organize and lead a new coalition of companies and foundations working to protect the Colorado River from the source to the sea. The “Save the Colorado River” campaign — www.savethecolorado.org — is led by New Belgium Brew-ery of Fort Collins, CO. The coalition included the compa-nies Patagonia, Clif Bar, Teva and National Geographic; foundation partners include foundation partners include Kenney Brothers Foundation and The Environment Foundation. Gary Wockner, Clean Water Fund’s Colorado Program Director serves as the Campaign Coordinator.

Save the Colorado supports non-profit environmental groups up and down the Colorado River basin. In 2011, Save the Colorado donated $160,000 to this cause. In addition to this philanthropy, Save the Colorado is assist-ing organizations with their communications through the Save the Colorado website, blog, and facebook page. The Colorado River provides drinking and irrigation water for more than 30 million people throughout the South-west, from the Front Range of Colorado to Southern California and Mexico. The river is severely depleted all along its journey. At the very top of the basin in Colorado, the river has been named one of the “Most Endangered Rivers in America.” At the bottom — 1,500 miles down-stream — the river is drained dry and no long meets the Gulf of California. In fact, 5 trillion gallons of water are drained out of the Colorado River every year.

Save the Colorado helped to organize the first ever basin-wide “Colorado River Day” in 2012. Events in San

Diego, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, and Grand Junction brought together environmental conservationists and fiscal conservatives to celebrate “conserving” the river and its water. July 25, 1921 was the day that Congress named it the “Colorado River.” 2012 Colorado River Day celebrates the river and offers commonsense solutions to protect and restore it. See http://ColoradoRiverDay.com for more information.

In July, Save the Colorado launched a film tour with the Redford Center, highlighting Robert Redford’s new film, “Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West.” The tour will stop in San Diego, Los Ange-les, Phoenix, Tucson, Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City — the major water-guzzling cities in the Colorado River basin. The tour will focus on “Calls2Action” that people can take to make a difference in the future of the Colorado River, including:

➤➤ Personal water conservation pledges

➤➤ Contacting local water district managers and federal decision-makers in support of stronger water conser-vation programs in Southwest U.S. cities.

➤➤ Contracting federal decision-makers to support a bi-national agreement with Mexico to restore the flow to the Colorado River Delta.

➤➤ Making donations to help purchase water rights nec-essary to restore the river’s connection to the Gulf of California.

save the colorado

6Colorado Currents | Summer Update 2012 www.CleanWaterAction.org

Fourteen coal-fired power plants provide around 60% of Colorado’s energy. While recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and regulations have made strides to reduce power plants’ toxic air pollution, there is a dirty secret the energy industry is sweeping under the rug. When these plants burn coal, they leave behind “coal combustion residuals,” known more commonly as “coal ash,” containing a mix of toxic heavy metals and cancer-causing and neurotoxic chemicals.

Coal ash includes fly ash — the fine par-ticles that float up the smoke stack and are captured by pollution control devices, and bottom ash — the coarse, heavier materials that fall to the bottom of the furnace. Colorado produces nearly 1.4 million tons of coal ash per year. Nationally coal ash is the second largest waste stream in the United States. However, coal ash lacks the crucial regulations and oversight at the state and federal levels needed to protect against environmental and health harm.

Heavy metals in coal ash can include arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, selenium, aluminum, barium, beryllium, boron, and nickel. The health risks from exposure are similar to those from coal plants’ air pollution, but because of the way it is stored and disposed of, coal ash is more likely to contaminate soil and drinking water sources. In addition to risks of cancer and nervous system damage, the toxins in coal ash can also cause cognitive deficits, developmental delays and behavioral problems in children, reproduc-tive problems, birth defects, lung disease and asthma, and heart damage. According to the U.S. EPA, risks for these kinds of harm are higher for people who live next to a coal ash disposal site.

In Colorado, most coal-fired power plants have between two and twelve ponds or surface impound-ments where the coal ash is often mixed with water and allowed to evaporate. Coal ash is also disposed of in designated landfills — these can either be on-site at the power plant or off-site. Fifteen Colorado landfills

hold mainly coal ash, but at least eight of those are unlined, which increases water contamination risks.

The industry markets and re-sells more than one third of all coal ash wastes for what it calls “beneficial use.” This allows coal ash laden with dangerous heavy metals to be put into concrete, gypsum or wall board, spread as agricultural fertilizer, used to de-ice roads or dumped into abandoned mines. All of these uses threaten water because they can allow the heavy met-als to migrate due to erosion, leaching or runoff. None of this would be allowed if coal ash was regulated as a hazardous waste.

Why is coal ash still not regulated as “hazardous?” That is a question the environmental community often asks elected officials and regulatory agencies. Clean Water Action and allies are campaigning to get the U.S. EPA to designate coal ash as a hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. This designation would require more responsible dis-posal and would prevent its unsafe re-use in everyday materials.

Clean Water Action is pressing Colorado’s U.S. Sena-tors to support the “hazardous waste” designation for coal ash when the issue comes before them for a vote. Meanwhile, the campaign is conducting more research on coal ash in Colorado and potential water contami-nation problems and organizing in communities where coal ash poses serious environmental and health risks.

issue spotlight: coal ash in colorado

Colorado Currents | Summer Update 2012 7www.CleanWaterAction.org

Questions still remain: Alien crop circles or frack tracks? Clean Water Action wants to know.

Clean Water Action’s Gary Wockner and Shane Davis, chair of Sierra Club’s Poudre Canyon Group, submitted a series of satellite images to Governor John Hickenlooper on March 5, raising concerns about what appears to be long, winding scars on the earth’s surface (circled in red) possibly caused by the dumping of oil and gas drilling waste. The Boulder Weekly wrote an extensive article questioning the State’s response to these images on July 19, 2012. The article featured comments from Mr. Davis, the ranch co-owner, Colorado Oil and Gas Commission director Thom Kerr, and a representative from Nobel Energy.

What do you think? Are these strange patterns from legitimate practices on this cattle ranch or from irresponsible drill operators dumping drilling and fracking waste?

FRACK TRACKS?

More Ways You Can Make a Difference for Clean Water:➤ OnlineActions: Join Clean Water Action online to hold your U.S. Reps and Senators accountable.

www.cleanwater.org/action

➤ MonthlyGiving: Sustain your support for Clean Water Action with an automatic recurring gift.www.cleanwater.org/join/ways-to-give

➤ InternetSearches&OnlineShopping:Generate donations for Clean Water Action with every internet search. Use the “add to search” link on this page: http://cleanwateraction.we-care.com/search

Clean Water Action’s Online Shopping App makes donations for every purchase you make atthousands of online stores. It’s free and automatic. http://cleanwateraction.we-care.com/getstarted

➤ MakeYourOpinionsCountforCleanWater: Sign up for SurveyMonkey. Contribute and each survey you complete means a donation for Clean Water. https://contribute.surveymonkey.com/charity/clean-water-fund

Colorado CurrentsSUMMerUpdAte2012

Clean Water Action is a national citizens’ organization working for clean, safe and affordable water, prevention of health-threatening pollution, creation of environmentally-safe jobs and businesses, and empowerment of people to make democracy work.

Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups, coalitions and campaigns to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life.

Managingeditor:Jonathan ScottpresidentandCeO:Robert WendelgassWriters:Erin Adair, Colorado Program Coordinator; Gary Wockner, Colorado Program Directordesign: ES Design

Reproduction in whole or part is permitted with proper credit.© Copyright 2012 All rights reserved.

National: 1010 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005-4918 | phone 202.895.0420 | Fax 202.895.0438 | [email protected] Colorado: 1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite B-400, Denver, CO 80202 | phone 303.405.6755 | www.CleanWaterAction.org/co

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8Colorado Currents | Summer Update 2012 www.CleanWaterAction.org