Location: Broomfield, CO
Who: Mayor pro-tem Greg Stokes
What: Abandoned oil and gas wells near or under Broomfield residents homes, on school property and more
*Note: Don't miss Part II 'Mayor Randy Ahrens' and 'Public Servant Warning' at the bottom
Dear Mayor pro-tem Greg Stokes: Broomfield, CO:
First, it appears you have not been transparent with the community you are a 'pubic servant' to. Every community has a 'right to know' if their elected public servants have information, or know about existing potential threats or hazards to their public health, safety, welfare and environment.
I believe you, and others had prior knowledge of existing abandoned oil and gas wells in Broomfield, Colorado communities. Many of the abandoned oil and gas wells are under occupied homes, on private properties, (where the home owner, upon purchase of said property did not receive full disclosure to the existence and location of said potential hazards). Let's not forget there are abandoned oil and gas wells on school property as well.
Lack of disclosure to the home buyer is ethically and morally unjust. As exhibited in the recent past, an abandoned oil and gas facility and related equipment caused a house in Firestone, CO to explode into a fireball killing two people and injuring others.
A reminder to you and others - active and abandoned oil and gas wells have been shown to pose a deadly threat to those who live near their location(s). This is a dangerous heavy industry that should never riddle neighborhoods. Period.
Mayor Ahrens and Mayor pro-tem Greg Stokes, let me also remind you that lack of disclosure of abandoned well locations to the home buyer appears to be willful and grossly negligent. It is the duty of a public servant to be transparent and act immediately to inform the community of potential threats to their safety. That is your elected and sworn duty.
Home mortgage companies and home insurance companies will undoubtedly deny or stop existing home loans once they discover the home is near, or on-top of an abandoned oil and gas well facility. I have spoken to home owners in other states that have been denied home owners insurance due to their home location near active and or abandoned oil and gas facilities.
Who is liable for the home owner's loss? Who is responsible to inform them prior to their purchase that a myriad of potential risks exist?
The City of Broomfield, its public servants, the planning and zoning commission, its lawyers, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), Matt Lepore, Dept. of Natural Resources, Colorado Division of Public Health Safety and Environment, Governor John Hickenlooper et al, should all be held accountable for placing the owner and residents at risk by willfully allowing the development of residential homes on-top, or near abandoned oil and gas well facilities which pose a probable threat to their safety, health, welfare and environment.
This is the Setback Loophole which I publicly disclosed in 2012 that needs to be closed immediately. All current and future residential development that is planning to build on-top, or near abandoned oil and gas facilities should cease and desist operations immediately. A statewide moratorium should be mandated.
Below is a map of abandoned wells in your backyard Mr. Stokes. But you already knew these locations existed didn't you?
Have you knocked on the door of 4562 Longs Court, or 4765 Capitol Court and notified the occupants that it appears the City of Broomfield allowed the development of their homes on-top of, or near abandoned oil and gas well facilities?
What about address: 3751 Troon Circle? Do the home owners know they have an abandoned well from 1992 a mere ~30' from their porch?
Coyote Ridge Middle School also has an abandoned well on its property. Also approved by the City of Broomfield et al.
Click image to enlarge - then expand or use large monitor to view fine details
Extraction Oil & Gas LLC facility and equipment locations - Broomfield, CO |
Extraction Oil & Gas removal of equipment. Have the well-bore and flow-lines been pressure tested? There are no documents on the COGCC's website indicating so. |
Surface removal of Extraction Oil & Gas LLC's equipment. What lies beneath, and are the adjacent homes at risk from well-bore or flow-line failures? |
COGCC COGIS screen capture with abandoned oil and gas facility locations in a Broomfield, CO neighborhood. Click to enlarge image |
PART II
Mayor Randy Ahrens
Mayor Ahrens, have a look at the maps below that pertain to your backyard. Please take great care to notice the timelines and location of the Aspen Ridge Elementary School as one point of interest amongst many.
It is always the case where the oil and gas industry 'goes first.' The fracking industry will develop their operations and then make way for the housing developers to come in (and not have to abide by COGCC setback regulations) - Setback Loophole.
According to the COGCC's database, it appears that Extraction Oil & Gas LLC owns the Carlson 1-24 oil and gas facility developed in 1992 and there are no state records indicating a mandatory mechanical integrity test was ever conducted. Are there any associated flow-lines that were never pressure tested during the Governor's mandatory pressure check parade?
There was a notice of alleged violation NOAV Doc ID # 3608552 issued to the original operator with no subsequent documentation indicating alleged violation was take care of satisfactorily.
Aspen Ridge Elementary School was built in 1999 with full knowledge of the location of an existing oil and gas facility location a mere 190 feet away.
Mayor Ahrens, can you provide documentation indicating this specific oil and gas facility has conducted a flow-line and mechanical integrity test? The community and school have a right to know if an increased potential threat exists.
While you're researching, please add the abandoned oil and gas well-site Martin Exploration Carson 1-24 to your list. This abandoned facility is actually on the property of Aspen Ridge elementary School. Let's have a look at the history of that facility and please provide the information to the parents of each child that attends that school.
1993 - Broomfield, CO - Oil and gas develop facility while planning Aspen Ridge Elementary School construction . Oil and gas first, then school second, to avoid setback regulations. |
1999 Broomfield, CO Aspen Ridge Elementary School construction approximately 190' from existing oil and gas facility. |
Sheridan Parkway - Broomfield, CO Over one dozen abandoned oil and gas wells riddle this neighborhood. Many abandoned wells appear to be located underneath homes. |
This map should be the context for a new horror film. Remember, this is not my information, it is the information the COGCC has in their database and you are privy to. Everyone has access to this information, it's a right and a duty to know precisely where hazards are to prevent public harm.
Mayor Ahrens, I would like to invite you to accompany me when I walk door to door in all Broomfield communities and hand out official state and city documents illustrating that numerous homeowners may have abandoned oil and gas wells under or near their homes and schools, and that their public servants never told them about. This is an open invitation to you and your entire staff.
Please be prepared to speak to the points "what will you do when my home owners insurance company denies me coverage?" or, "what will you do when my mortgage lender pulls my home loan?" "What do we do when a well-bore seeps methane and homes explode?" "How does our community evacuate?"
ANTHEM RANCH - Click image to enlarge
Anthem Ranch - Broomfield, CO - abandoned oil and gas wells near or under homes |
Mayor Ahrens, how do you explain to the community and to the world that there are twenty two (22) abandoned oil and gas wells in the Anthem Ranch neighborhood? Many are under homes, near homes and in public areas.
Please take note of your planning and zoning development mapping system (yes, your own website), where it clearly shows you have approved further development of residential homes on-top or near an additional half-dozen abandoned oil and gas wells.
How in the world, and in what world do humans allow the development of homes in a field riddled with abandoned oil and gas well hazards? This must cease immediately and every resident should be informed that there is a potential 'mine-field' of fracking industry hazards in their neighborhood and in some cases, right below their homes.
These are some of the address locations that appear to have an abandoned oil and gas well located near or under their home. Source: http://cogcc.state.co.us
- 14985 Silver Feather Circle Broomfield, CO
- 4947 Buffalo Grass Loop Broomfield, CO
- 14919 Sheridan Parkway Broomfield, CO
- 14909 Sheridan Parkway Broomfield, CO
- 5023 Silver Feather Way Broomfield, CO
- 4471 Tanager Road Broomfield, CO
- 14655 Golden Eagle Run Broomfield, CO
- Holy Family High School appears to have 3 abandoned oil and gas wells located under the school and on its property
I know every concerned citizen will take this information and tell every Broomfield resident 'What Lies Beneath.' Will you Mayor Ahrens?
Will Broomfield be the next Firestone?
...................................
Warning: Any public servant - Mayor, County Commissioner, City Council, planning and zoning, local government designee, literally anyone who is a state or government employee that knows of potential threats to public health, safety and environment of Colorado communities and who does not perform their elected duty by immediately and publicly disclosing the locations of abandoned wells under or near homes, school, playgrounds, hospitals, public areas, etc., I will disclose all locations of active and abandoned oil and gas facilities in every community. I will have a large team of professionals going door to door in every community providing official oil and gas location documents to the home owner's while making a documentary film and holding you all accountable for your negligent behavior. You will close your oil and gas - home development setback loophole and end the unjust, ethically reckless behavior that is negligently unbalanced and favors oil and gas over community health, safety and environment.
You are on the wrong side of history and the courts will deem you liable.
Out with politicians, in with public servants.
hit the donate button if you intend to use this information please. It will allow me to dig up more information.
please forward far and wide and leave a comment
All data sourced by COGCC: http://cogcc.state.co.us
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I have never see anything like this! Incredible skills, Shane! I hope the Mayor and everyone else he associates with runs for cover.
ReplyDeleteBroomfield Bombshell!
Sad for everyone that lives there. Horrible thing to do to another human. I salute your work!!!!!
Silvia Wentell
Colorado
You are truly a humanitarian hero, Shane! This information is a game-changer on all levels. Your work should inspire everyone at every level to do the right thing. Where are the big media outlets? They should be covering this story like no other!!!
ReplyDeleteThe question really is: "What's Under My House?"
I salute your work Shane! WOW!!!!
David T.
Colorado
HOLY SHIT! THIS IS WHERE I LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI WAS NEVER TOLD ANYTHING. IN-FACT, THE MAYOR TOLD US WE HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT! WTF?!!
VERY PISSED OFF BROOMFIELD RESIDENT
Brilliant!! Brilliant!!
ReplyDeleteGary
Holy Crap! This really happens?
ReplyDeleteShane, you are a Colorado hero, the Jimi Hendrix of research exposing the atrocities of the Oil and Gas industry and their accomplices masquerading as public servants. Thank you for revealing them for what they really are....public villains.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shane! Your work is priceless and not without danger. You have done great work in Colorado and your warning letters are manifestos to all who should wish to enter into public servant positions. I think of Karen Silkwood when I see your work and the greedy intentions of the oil and gas industry giants. Be safe my friend, we all support you and your work!!
ReplyDeleteA group of concerned Colorado citizens
The old wells and their flowlines in the new Anthem Highlands Filing 20 neighborhood were ripped out and plugged this past summer. Filing 20 is that triangular area north of Prebble Creek and east of Lowell where the new K-8 school and several houses are being built on that pond, the neighborhood I call Mosquito Bay.
ReplyDeleteDown in the Broadlands east of Lowell in the Falls at Legend Trail portion there used to be an abandoned well right in the middle there. It was maybe 10 feet outside my front door when I lived in 13803 Legend Way #104, but it was torn out and plugged before the foundations were even poured. I bought that townhouse brand new and sold it 2 years later.
All we can hope is that these old wells stay plugged as an old plugged well out east of Berthoud sprung a good-sized oil leak last week and was gushed 30 to 40 barrels per-day for several days.
In fact there are a bunch of old wells in Arvada above the Old Leyden coal mine, a bunch just east of Boulder, several along I-70 in the Stapleton neighborhood, several in southwest Denver and northeast Lakewood, plenty in Commerce City, and even one in the parking lot of the Denver Coliseum.
Mark Richardson
This deserves all accolades! Thank you for your investigative work, it is next-level stuff. What is under Greeley Shane?
ReplyDelete