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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Encana Releases Industrial Waste in Waters of the State - Multiple Residents Appear Impacted and Angry about Water Testing



In a nutshell:  A pipeline possibly containing 'toxic' flowback and produced water discharged thousands of gallons of industrial liquid waste into Dry Hollow Creek, in Garfield County, CO and may have affected adjacent landowners  private water wells, a local aquifer and the Colorado River. The industrial waste spill entered Davis Ditch along Dry Hollow Road, near entrance to Arbaney property on 6/16/2012. Water was found by local landowners to have an iridescent and odorous scum that collected in the ditch. Landowners not happy and don’t trust Encana to take water samples of water wells and aquifer. Landowners request third party testing.

CDPHE states: A ruptured 12 inch pipe released approximately 100 barrels (4,200 US Gallons) of treated produced water was discharges into Dry Hollow Creek, which was initially dry. The water did reach the point at which the creek contained water.

ENCANA states: A pipeline containing produced water and flowback water developed a sudden leak at the above location, resulting in ~50 bbls (2,100 US Gallons) of E&P waste water (produced and recycled water) being released into the Davis irrigation ditch, which is a water of the state.

Ditch users downstream of the release reported seeing iridescent and/or odorous scum collect intermittently along the ditch. Ditch users reported that the ditch recharges the aquifer containing their domestic water wells. One downstream ditch user reported that their well is dry in two weeks if there is no water flow in the ditch.

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MY TAKE
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Q: Did toxic liquid industrial waste reach the Colorado River? Encana claims it did not. I request Encana prove their mishap did not affect the Colorado River.

I think Encana made up the word ‘Sudden Leak’ as an alibi or indemnifying statement.  I don’t buy it, but Encana does, from their attorneys.

I want the COGCC and Encana to prove without a doubt that this liquid release was ‘treated produced water’ and show the landowners that it is benign and will not cause any adverse impacts to their land, water and health. There are no publicly available records that I could find to support Encana’s statement.

Q: Why did the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission remove Uranium from the analyte list to test for?

Q: Why does Encana get to select the third party water testing agency? The landowners appear to not trust Encana and want a professional unbiased test done of their water.

Q: What will Encana do to remediate the land and water?

Q: Will Encana and the landowners engage in a private settlement agreement? A non-disclosure agreement with dollar bills attached to it will most likely happen if the contamination is irreversible.

Q: Did Encana have volumetric gauges to precisely know how much liquid was released? If so, where are the official documents that support your claim?  Encana states exactly ½ the volume of what was initially reported. Why?

Q: If there is a non-disclosure agreement/settlement and the landowners move, the new buyers will never know of the previous industrial waste discharge.  I believe this is irreprehensible!


To the affected landowners: Please do not sign a non-disclosure agreement. The industry has been keeping their chemical contaminations secret for far too long. We need to know everything in order to protect all landowners now and into the future.


 CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE


ENCANA OIL AND GAS (USA)
DENVER, COLORADO

Date of Alleged Violation:  6/16/2012
A pipeline containing produced water and flowback water developed a sudden leak at the above location, resulting in ~50 bbls of E&P waste water (produced and recycled water) being released into the Davis irrigation ditch, which is a water of the state. Encana personnel noticed a sudden pressure drop in the line and identified the leak. Encana reported the incident to the CDPHE- incident #2012-0427. Encana filed a verbal report to the COGCC and have submitted a Form 19 Spill Report. Encana pumped water out of the ditch to recover the fluids, repaired the line, and collected soil samples. A complaint (#200353851) was filed with the COGCC by one downstream ditch user regarding possible impacts to their pond and spring. Ditch users downstream of the release reported seeing iridescent and/or odorous scum collect intermittently along the ditch. Ditch users reported that the ditch recharges the aquifer containing their domestic water wells. One downstream ditch user reported that their well is dry in two weeks if there is no water flow in the ditch.



CLICK DOCUMENTS TO ENLARGE

































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EMAIL FROM ENCANA


From: Jensen Jr., Charles H.
To: Spry ORourk, Linda
Subject: Pipeline spill GPS coordinates
Date: Monday, June 18, 2012 3:14:13 PM

Hi Linda,

Here are the coordinates fro my GPS at the area of release. I will send you the estimated amount lost
when I get it.

39.46876
-107.65221

Charlie
Charles H. Jensen, Jr., P.G., C.P.G.
EHS Environmental Group/Hydrogeologist/Special Projects
Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc.
2717 County 215, Suite 100
Parachute, CO 81635
(970) 285-2735 office
(970) 309-1022 mobile
(970) 285 2705 fax
charles.jensen@encana.com

OFFICIAL EMAIL FROM COGCC TO ENCANA- LINK

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EMAIL TO ENCANA FROM COGCC


From: Spry ORourk, Linda [mailto:Linda.SpryORourk@state.co.us]
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2012 9:26 AM
To: Friesen, Kathy; Jensen Jr., Charles H.
Cc: Fischer, Alex; Spray, Karen
Subject: Dry Hollow Pipeline release water well sampling

Kathy and Charlie,

I received two calls yesterday from landowners who apparently spoke with Charlie about the resampling of their wells. Both Mr. Guthrie and Mr. Schultz expressed grave concerns to me about Encana sampling their water wells. Their concerns are not about having the wells tested, but they expressed a desire for a third party contractor to be the entity actually conducting the sampling. Both told me they didn’t mind if Encana got a sample also, but that they would have no faith in the results of a sample if Encana personnel actually collected the sample. Mr. Guthrie especially seemed pretty upset and angry at the concept that I would ‘allow’ Encana personnel to continue the sampling that the COGCC initiated relative to this spill.

I tried to explain that our NOAV requires the operator to burden the cost of sampling after a release and that the COGCC would be monitoring the situation relative to this release and sampling data closely. This information did not really appease either landowner. Mr. Guthrie is vowing to stir everyone on the Davis Ditch up so they call in complaints to everyone they can if Encana personnel conduct the sampling.
So, consider this a formal request for Encana to very strongly consider having their consultant continue the contacts with these landowners and actually conduct the sampling. It appeared to me from conversations with these folks that they would be comfortable with a third party sampling their wells. I also found out from the Schultz that their schedule is not conducive to sample collection from their well before the NOAV abatement date of July 10, 2012. Apparently they have scheduled with Encana for July 13, 2012 to have their well sampled. Because the Schultz well sampling schedule is landowner-driven, an exception to the schedule for collecting the repeat samples is approved for this landowner.

Please let me know if Encana is willing to have a third party conduct this sampling, because I expect to be speaking with Mr. Guthrie again and owe the Schultz’s a call back as well.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Linda Spry O'Rourke
Environmental Protection Specialist, Northwest Region
Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission
707 Wapiti Court
Suite 204
Rifle, CO 81650
(970) 625-2497 Office
(970) 625-5682 Fax
(970) 309-3356 Cellular






Notice of Alleged Violation – Documents

File Size (KB)
53

1061
638




File Size (KB)
8
342
8
8
14
17

99
1061
638


TELEPHONE NOTES – JANICE HUNT

6/18/2012 10:45am

Linda Spry O’Rourke called Janice Hunt. Janice had contacted Margaret Ash Sunday 6/17/2012.
Janice reported that she lives about 2.7 miles up Dry Hollow and that Tim Guthrie had called Sunday to report the leak of produced water into the Davis Ditch. Janice told me that Tim lives about 6 miles up Dry Hollow and had been doing day and noticed no water in the ditch so followed it up toward the headgate. She reported that he found pump trucks at the pie leak recovering what was called ‘Recycled water”. The ditch water was shut off while pumping occurred. Janice reported that tim was worried about his well and if it was contaminated. Janice doesn’t have a well, but had a spring fed by the creek/ditch. She reports she is on a mesa and it’s 125 feet down to the creek. She has a cistern and a pond that has more water than expected. She is not letting horses drink or dogs swim in the pond.

She has an RO system on the drinking water system. Janice reported that the news paper carried a story on the release.

I told Janice that the COGCC would sample her pond and spring to check for impacts from the pipeline release.


Data Compiled by: Shane Davis
Source: COGCC

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