Colorado
Fracking the Front Range
frack attack across colorado's front range!
Northern Colorado, home base to Colorado Clean Water Action in Fort Collins, is in the midst of the biggest frack-ing boom in the United States. Weld County, just east of Fort Collins, has more active oil and gas wells than any county in the U.S, with nearly 18,000 wells. As a geologic formation called the “Niobrara Shale” is drilled for oil and gas, 10,000 to 20,000 more wells could be added.
Oil from rocks?
Do you believe in magic? Big Oil and their supporters hope so, as they advocate their latest domestic energy source: oil shale.
Oil shale is neither oil nor shale. This finely-grained sedimentary rock - more properly known as organic marlstone - is infused with kerogen, not oil. Kerogen is a dense blend of ancient algae and pond scum, and is an essential ingredient in oil and natural gas. But transforming kerogen to oil requires millennia, coupled with intense heat and crushing geologic pressure. Otherwise the kerogen remains a relatively energy-poor waxy deposit in sedimentary rocks, such as oil shale.
Stopping The Poudre River Dam
As far as great rivers go, Colorado's Cache la Poudre is a crystalline gem, found embedded among the majestic Colorado Rockies. Its long borders ebb and flow along a wide and diverse path, cutting through the Continental Divide and feeding into both the Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest.
Flaming Gorge
flaming gorge pipeline update:
This proposal would divert massive amounts of water from Flaming Gorge
Reservoir in Southwest Wyoming, and pipe and pump that water 500 miles
across Wyoming and down to the Front Range of Colorado for “future
population growth.” So far, Colorado has funded a small “task force” to
study the Pipeline, and a northern Colorado businessman recently filed
an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build
it. Clean Water Fund and Clean Water Action oppose the Pipeline and
encourage the organizations’ members and supporters to oppose it as
well.
Saving the Colorado | Winter 2011
Photo Courtesy PeteMcBride.com
Clean Water Fund and Clean Water Action are helping to organize and lead a new coalition of companies and founda-tions 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 Brewing of Fort Collins, CO. The coalition also includes the com-panies Patagonia, Clif Bar, Teva and National Geographic; foundation partners include Kenney Brothers Foundation, Environment Foundation, and Environment Now. Gary Wockner, Clean Water Fund’s Colorado Program Director serves as the “Campaign Coordinator.”
CO Legislative Roundup | Winter 2011
winter 2011 legislative roundup
The State Legislature in Colorado is in session from January through May. Environmental groups are once again planning to play a strong defensive role in 2012 because the State House of Representatives has been seized by anti-environmental zealots. Continued attacks against Colorado’s clean energy policies and programs are likely, as well as efforts to try and drain even more water out of the state’s rivers. Despite the need to play defense, environmental groups are planning to move forward some key legislation on energy, water, transportation, wildlife and air protection.
Senator Bennet
For supporting funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF provides money for recreational, trail-building, and parks and open space programs all across the U.S., including Colorado. It is supposed to be replenished from severance taxes on offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere. But each year, Congress grapples with how much of these tax revenues will actually be allocated for this purpose. Some anti-environmental members of Congress want end all LWCF funding. This year, Senator Bennet took the important step of co-sponsoring the bill which would provide more money for the Fund. His leadership and strong support for Colorado’s environment are much appreciated.
From the Colorado Program Director
the pleas for help have been emotional
Not a week goes by when our office is not contacted by a northern Colorado homeowner worried about drilling and fracking on or near their property. Wells are being drilled within feet of homes, schools, and shopping malls. Residents are up in arms.
With limited resources, Clean Water Action is attempting to help address these threats. We work in unison with other environmental groups around the state through lobbying and public outreach. The impacts of drilling and fracking that are overwhelming citizens are also overwhelming Colorado’s environmental groups.
Colorado Currents | Winter 2011
colorado currents
winter 2011 edition
Inside
frack attack across colorado's front range!
Northern Colorado, home base to Colorado Clean Water Action in Fort Collins, is in the midst of the biggest fracking boom in the United States. Weld County, just east of Fort Collins, has more active oil and gas wells than any county in the U.S, with nearly 18,000 wells. As a geologic formation called the “Niobrara Shale” is drilled for oil and gas, 10,000 to 20,000 more wells could be added. The Niobrara is a deep shale rock layer that requires hydraulic fracking to get out the oil and gas. As is the case with shale gas fracking across the U.S., the issue is extremely controversial in northern Colorado. Recently, cities and counties up and down the Front Range have been dealing with the consequences of drilling and fracking.Clean Water Action asks state to close proposed fracking loophole
Clean Water Action, a national organization that seeks to prevent
pollution of the nation's water resources, is asking the Colorado Oil
and Conservation Commission to close a "trade secret loophole" in a
proposed new regulation on well fracking.
Fracking is the hydraulic fracturing of rock layers, usually deep underground, to facilitate the extraction of oil and gas deposits. The process involves injecting sand, water and chemicals into the layers to loosen the deposits and bring them to the surface.
Fracking is the hydraulic fracturing of rock layers, usually deep underground, to facilitate the extraction of oil and gas deposits. The process involves injecting sand, water and chemicals into the layers to loosen the deposits and bring them to the surface.
Published Date:
12/01/2011
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