Clean Water Action delivers 1,000 hand-signed postcards to Governor Hickenlooper

For Immediate Release
September 26, 2012
Clean Water Action, Gary Wockner, 970-218-8310

Clean Water Action delivers 1,000 hand-signed postcards from Denver metro residents asking Governor Hickenlooper to increase drilling/fracking setbacks.

Denver, CO – On Wednesday September 26^th, Clean Water Action delivered 1,000 postcards to the Office of the Governor that were hand-signed by residents in the Denver metro area urging Governor Hickenlooper to take action and support a significant increase in the distance drilling and fracking sites can be from homes, schools, and hospitals. Clean Water Action’s canvassing program has been knocking on doors throughout the metro area over the last 6 weeks, educating citizens at the door and helping them take action.

“Current setback standards of 350 feet in densely populated areas are not far enough to protect our air, water, and communities,” said Gary Wockner of Clean Water Action.  “The public’s health and property values are increasingly at risk as drilling encroaches on suburban Colorado.”

The Colorado School of Public Health published a study indicating that cancer causing air emissions from drill sites may cause health impacts up to a half mile from a drill site, which is a 7.5 times greater distance than current Colorado setbacks law requires. 

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) has convened a “Setback Stakeholder Group” made up of local governments, environmental groups, individuals, and COGCC staff.  

“We want to see some real leadership from Governor Hickenlooper on this issue,” said Gary Wockner. “Coloradans deserve to have their community’s health, property values, quality of life, and safety protected when a new rulemaking process moves forward about setbacks.”

Photo: http://water.clean.home.comcast.net/~water.clean/CWA-deliver-postcard-to-hick.jpg

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