Governor Hickenlooper is Allowing the Destruction of Colorado's Landscape to Include our Pawnee National Grasslands

Incredibly destructive oil and gas development in Weld County Colorado. This madness must end. CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

210,000 Gallons of Produced Water (aka, toxic liquid industrial waste) Drains into Creek on State Land - Arapahoe, County Colorado

RENEGADE OIL & GAS COMPANY LLC 

This post is a very comprehensive look into the history of one company's well site and its inadequate track record.  It appears that a large discharge of produced water occurred in late 2005. Was this spill a concern? It was on State land.

 It is 'estimated' that +/- 5,000 barrels of produced water discharged on the ground surface and into Cottonwood Creek. According to COGCC documents, one barrel equals 42 US gallons.  Five thousand barrels equates to 210,000 gallons of produced water that was reportedly spilled into Cottonwood Creek.  Was this company fined?

Why has this company had so many unsatisfactory inspections/violations and is still being allowed to manage an active well?  Of the 9 inspections listed below, the  oil & gas operator  failed 7, or 78% failure rate. Should they be fined? Should they be shut down for having so many violations?

Do all companies get 'breaks' for their violations? Are O&G violation rules different if a well is located on State land? Where did the produced water go? Does the Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 apply?

official docx:

-------------------------

***

Date Rec'd:	12/21/2005	Report taken by:	BOB CHESSON
DocNum:	1433324	API number:	05-005 -06522	Facility ID:	204437

Operator Information

Operator:	RENEGADE OIL & GAS COMPANY LLC	Oper. No.	74165
Address:	P O BOX 460413 ATTN: EDWARD INGVE AURORA , CO 80046-0413
Phone:	(303 )680-4725	Fax:	(303 )680-4907
Operator Contact:	JB CONDILL

Description of Spill:

Date of Incident:	12/1/2005
Type of Facility:	WELL
Well Name/No.	STATE 2	Fac. Name/No.
County Name:	ARAPAHOE
qtrqtr: NESW section: 36 township: 4S range: 58W meridian: 6

Volumes spilled and recovered (bbls)
Oil spilled: 0	Recvrd: 0
Water spilled:	Recvrd: 0
Other spilled:	Recved:
GW Impact? N     Surface water impact? Y     Contained within berm? N
Area and vertical extent of spill: 20-FT X 800 -FT
Current land use: RANGELAND
Weather conditions:
Soil/Geology description
Distance in feet to nearest surface water:
Depth to shallowest GW:
Wetlands:	Buildings:
Livestock:	Water Wells:
Cause of spill:
EQUIPMENT FAILURE
Immediate Response:
BACKHOE PLUGGED HOLE IN BERM AND REINFORCED BERM
Emergency Pits:
NONE
How extent determined:
VISUAL
Further Remediation
REMEDIATION UNDERWAY.
Prevent Problem:
REVIEW OF ALL COMPANY POLICIES WITH EMPLOYEES.
Detailed Description:
INSPECTION BY COGCC STAFF IN RESPONSE TO SURFACE OWNERS CONCERN IDENTIFIED A BREACH IN THE PRODUCED WATER PIT ALLOWING PIT TO DISCHARGE TO DRAINAGE OF COTTONWOOD CREEK AT A RATE OF APPROX. 3 GPM. RELEASE ONGOING FOR SOME TIME SO ESTIMATES OF RELEASE ARE VERY APPROXIMATE (5,000 BBLS (?).)

 

Field Visit/Follow Up
Name	Phone	Date
No Field Visit data found.

 

............................................................................................................................................................

Historical field inspections at this specific well  API Number: 05-005-06522 Name: STATE #2 Location: NESW 36 4S 58W Lat: 39.65898 Long: -103.82827 Operator #: 39100   Field Inspections:   Inspection Date: 5/24/1995   Inspection was: No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Indicator   Violation: Y   Field Inspection Comments and Observations   Insp. Comment Inspection/Violation Comments HISTORICAL WELLSIGN POSTED BUT ILLEGIBLE, PRODUCING AT TIME OF INSPECTION PUMPING UNIT FENCED, LOCATION IN REASONABLE CONDITION OIL SATURATED SOIL AROUND WELLHEAD     Inspection Date: 5/25/1995   Inspection was: No Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Indicator   Violation: Field Inspection Comments and Observations   Insp. Comment Inspection/Violation Comments HISTORICAL PRODUCED WATER PIT BERM HAD BEEN REPAIRED, BUT EVIDENCE OF DISCHARGE OF WATER & OIL STILL EVIDENT FROM TANK BATTERY EAST IN DITCH ALONG ROAD TO CONFLUENCE W/ COTTONWOOD CREEK, THEN NORTH IN COTTONWOODCREEK, OTHER PROBLEMS INCLUDE BERMS AROUND TANKS TOO SMALL, ABANDONED PIT, DRUMS. WILL WRITE LETTER TO AL POWELL RE REQUIRED REMEDIATION   Inspection Date: 12/1/2000   Inspection was: Unsatisfactory   Violation: Y Field Inspection Comments and Observations   Insp. Comment Inspection/Violation Comments ACTION REMOVE OIL FROM PIT AND REPAIR SCREEN TO PREVENT WILDLIFE ACCESS. CLEAN UP OIL SATURATED WEEDS. FIREWALL TANK BERM APPEARS ADEQUATE GENHOUSE OIL SATURATED WEEDS AROUND PIT TANKBAT (3) 300 BBL PROD TANKS WELLSIGN SIGN POSTED AT WELL AND BATTERY        Inspection Date: 7/11/2001   Inspection was: Unsatisfactory   Violation:   Field Inspection Comments and Observations   Insp. Comment Inspection/Violation Comments ACTION 2ND NOTICE- REMOVE OIL FROM PIT AND REPAIR SCREEN TO PREVENT WILDLIFE ACCESS. CLEAN UP OIL SATURATED WEEDS. GENHOUSE OILY WEEDS AND SOIL AROUND PIT MISC PUMPJACK OPERATING DURING INSPECTION WELLSIGN SIGN POSTED AT WELL     Inspection Date: 7/25/2001   Inspection was: Satisfactory   Violation: N   Field Inspection Comments and Observations   Insp. Comment Inspection/Violation Comments FIREWALL TANK BERM APPEARS ADEQUATE. TANKBAT OPERATOR SET STEEL TANK TO REPLACE SKIM PIT.   Inspection Date: 12/1/2005 ***(see reports and images below pertaining to the recorded discharge)   Inspection was: Unsatisfactory   Violation: Y Field Inspection Comments and Observations   Insp. Comment Inspection/Violation Comments ACTION CORRECT PIT BREACH ASAP. DISCHARGE IMPACTED AREA WILL REQUIRE REMEDIATION. GENHOUSE DISCHARGE FROM PIT MUST BE TERMINATED IMMEDIATELY. OTHERWISE TB LOCATION GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING OK. SPILCOM BREACHED SOUTH PIT WALL (SIGNIFICANT EROSION) ALLOWING DISCHARGE OF PRODUCED WATER TO DRAINGE TO SOUTH. SIGNIFICANT VEGETATION GROWTH IN SPILL AREA INDICATES LONG-TERM RELEASE NOT RECENT DISCHARGE.   Inspection Date: 9/18/2007   Inspection was: Unsatisfactory   Violation: Y   Field Inspection Comments and Observations   Insp. Comment Inspection/Violation Comments ACTION NOAV ISSUED. REMOVE OIL FROM PITS. REPAIR ALL LEAKS. REMOVE OIL-SATURATED SOIL FROM WELLSITE, BATTERY AND PITS. REMOVE CONTAMINATED BERMS. RE-BUILD PIT BERMS. COVER SKIM PIT. REMOVE MISC. JUNK. FIREWALL BERMS OK AROUND BATTERY TANKS. BERMS AROUND PITS MIXED WITH OIL PULLED FROM PITS - CONTAMINATED. GENHOUSE MISC. JUNK ON WELLSITE. LEASE ROAD TO BATTERY IN DISREPAIR. MISC PUMP JACK / SIGN / AJAX / MUFFLER / SHED. SPILCOM OIL-SATURATED SOIL INSIDE AJAX SHED. OIL-SATURATED SOIL AROUND BASE OF OIL SKIM TANK. OIL-SATURATED SOIL ON PIT WALLS AND BERMS. TANKBAT 3-300 BBL UPRIGHTS / BERMED / SIGN / VERTICAL GAS PROCESSORS WITH BIRD PROTECTION / SHED / FLAT SKID-MOUNTED LPG TANK / 300 BBL OIL SKIM TANK / SKIM PIT / PRODUCTION PIT / SHARED BATTERY WITH 005-06818 / DRAINAGE AREA ADJACENT TO PITS. WELLSIGN BOTH     Inspection Date: 11/7/2007   Inspection was: Unsatisfactory   Violation: Y   Field Inspection Comments and Observations   Insp. Comment Inspection/Violation Comments ACTION COVER SKIM PIT. CLEAN UP REMAINING STAINED SOILS AND JUNK. FIREWALL BERMS OK GENHOUSE JUNK - RODS AND TUBING - ON WELLSITE. MISC WELLSITE: PUMP JACK / AJAX WITH MUFFLER AND SHED / SIGN. FOLLOW-UP FOR NOAV # 200119084 SPILCOM SOIL STAINING NEAR TREATER SHED. TANKBAT 3-300 BBL UPRIGHTS / BERMED / SIGN / VERTICAL GAS PROCESSORS WITH BIRD PROTECTION / SHED / FLAT SKID-MOUNTED LPG TANK / 300 BBL OIL SKIM TANK WELLSIGN BOTH      Inspection Date: 11/20/2007   Inspection was: Satisfactory   Field Inspection Comments and Observations   Insp. Comment Inspection/Violation Comments FIREWALL OK GENHOUSE OK MISC FOLLOW UP TO NOAV INSPECTION--ALL OIL STAINED SOIL HAS BEEN SATISFACTORILY REMOVED FROM BATTERY AND WELLSITE / BERM SEPARATIONS IN PIT HAVE BEEN REMOVED CREATING A SINGLE PRODUCED WATER PIT----PRODUCER MAINTAINS THAT NO SKIM PIT EVER EXISTED---COGCC HAS NO RECORD PERMITTING TWO PITS / ALL OIL CONTAMINATION AS REPRESENTED IN THE NOAV HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM PRODUCED WATER PIT / JUNK AT WELLSITE HAS BEEN REMOVED SPILCOM OK

Statement on Direct Action at Boulder County Commissioners’ December 4, 2012 Public Hearing on Oil and Gas Development

Sent from HYDRAE

On December 4, 2012, a mom of two toddlers from Lafayette, a dad of two teenage girls from Louisville, a mom of two teenage boys from Boulder and an auntie from Niwot, participated in an act of peaceful direct action at the Boulder County Commissioners’ hearing on oil and gas development.

These upstanding and courageous citizens are so concerned about the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on our health, quality of life, community well-being, this place we call home, our property values, and our children’s future that they accepted the risk of arrest to raise awareness that Boulder County is about to become a sacrifice zone to the oil and gas industry.

We are facing an industry that is run amok, wreaking havoc on our planet, poisoning our children’s very life support systems and decimating communities in which they operate, coupled with a corrupt political system that prioritizes corporate profits over people’s and the planet’s well being. Not only Boulder County, but Colorado, the U.S. and, indeed, the entire planet is under assault from the oil and gas industry. As the industry moves full speed ahead with the fracking boom, people across Colorado, the U.S. and worldwide are organizing to defend themselves and their communities against the abuses of the oil and gas industry.

In the immortal words of Thomas Jefferson, “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes a duty.” Time and time again throughout our nation’s history, people who stood their ground for justice were mocked and ridiculed only to eventually become celebrated. Sometimes the right thing to do is take a stand against unjust laws. Now is one of those times! With climate change and the poisoning of our life support systems, the urgency has never been more profound.

Community members have participated in the public process as structured by the Boulder County commissioners for the past year. The public’s overwhelming opposition to hydraulic fracturing and pleas to the commissioners to take a stand have fallen on deaf ears. The commissioners say their hands are tied and they must follow state law. Hence, the commissioners directed staff to update the county’s regulations concerning oil and gas extraction.

County staff has been working in collaboration with the oil and gas industry and the state regulatory agency, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), tasked with both regulating and promoting oil and gas extraction (a clear conflict or interest) to update the county’s regulations. The County Commissioners are now preparing to lift the moratorium.

The COGCC has failed to prevent or mitigate adverse environmental and human health impacts in accordance with their mission statement. According to an analysis of 1,000 spill reports to the COGCC, 43% of all operator spills in Colorado resulted in groundwater contamination, 57% of all protective berms failed to prevent secondary industrial liquid waste migration, 2.4 billion square feet of surface has been contaminated. In Weld County, from 2003-2012, a combined 1.7 million gallons of toxic water and oil releases were never recovered. The Laramie-Fox Hills Aquifer in Greeley was contaminated with toluene and thermogenic gas by an oil and gas operation in 2009, and the list goes on.

Hydraulic fracturing releases carcinogenic emissions into the air, contaminates ground water and aquifers, and compacts and contaminates the soil. Many scientists believe the methane emissions associated with hydraulic fracturing are worse for global warming than coal.

Communities where hydraulic fracturing takes place are overrun by semi-truck traffic. The industry’s transient worker population leads to pressure on the rental market, drives down vacancies and drives up rates. It is well documented that crime rates increase where these transient worker populations are located. The heavy industrial, toxic process of hydraulic fracturing decreases property values, and there are issues with lenders not wanting to make loans on property with or in proximity to wells, as well as insurance companies not wanting to insure. Costs such as road wear and tear are externalized to the community. Wells must be monitored and maintained into perpetuity, placing the cost on future generations.

Oil and gas extraction is inherently a boom and bust industry, leaving behind environmental and economic ruin.

Hydraulic fracturing enjoys exemptions from many federal level environmental laws, such as the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and more. You would think that would raise a few…thousand…red flags!

Hydraulic fracturing uses 5-10 million gallons of water per frack, and wells can be fracked multiple times. With the chemicals added and the elements the water interacts with deep inside the earth, including naturally occurring radioactive materials, the water is turned into toxic waste that must be permanently removed from the hydrological cycle. This toxic waste water is deposited into “injection wells” bored into the earth (a whole, horrible topic unto itself). Our planet has a finite amount of fresh water, upon which life depends. Turning it into toxic waste is a crime against humanity.

Hydraulic fracturing is an inherently dangerous, heavy industrial, toxic process with risks that include catastrophic and irremediable damage to the environment and public health. These risks cannot be properly resolved, nor can they be mitigated through regulation. Pursuing regulation, as the commissioners are doing, is sanctioning the poisoning of our air, water and soil, along with the myriad other detrimental impacts of oil and gas extraction, including hydraulic fracturing, to our community. Allowing this to happen in our community (or anywhere) is unconscionable.

The direct action at the December 4 hearing entailed a mic check, a call and response action, whereby somebody reads a prepared statement, broken down into short pieces, and the crowd repeats each piece. Nearly everyone in the packed hearing room participated by repeating the words of those leading the mic check, and it unfolded into a beautiful symbolic action of the people asserting their will in the face of unjust laws and a corrupt political system that prioritizes profit over the well-being of people and the planet. It was a beautiful thing!

The mic check started out: “We are the people of Colorado and Boulder County. We are here to announce that the time has come and gone for you to recognize that hydraulic fracturing cannot be permitted in Boulder County.” The Pledge of Resistance to Continued Hydraulic Fracturing in Colorado (http://tinyurl.com/crx5pxs), which was recently released and has over 1,000 signatures already, was also read as part of the mic check. The Pledge of Resistance is endorsed by world renowned scientists and others. Use the link to see the full list and sign the Pledge.

Some youth who had signed up to read a prepared statement during public comment were inspired to use their statement to lead a mic check of their own. Upon conclusion of their mic check, somebody yelled out “who is going to run the meeting,” as the commissioners had left the room. “We are,” said a 13-year-old boy, and what followed was spontaneous inspiration.

As they sat in the commissioners’ chairs, the boy proclaimed, “we are the future, but we are also the present…and we are fighting for our future.” He went on to say, “we pledge to protect the air, the water, the soil for future generations to come.“ It was a magically symbolic gesture unfolding before us. Imagine if it was our County Commissioners doing the right thing at this critical moment in time and taking a stand in the face of unjust laws and a corrupt political system. The young man went on to say, “alright, everybody who wants to ban fracking, put your hand in the air.” The yays had it! Everyone in the packed hearing room (except for the oil and gas representative, we suspect), put their hands up. The room then erupted with chants of “ban fracking now.”

The commissioners returned to the room and the meeting resumed. Everyone who spoke during public comment, which lasted several hours, spoke in opposition to fracking, save the representative of Encana, a multinational oil and gas corporation that has 56 approved permits to drill and frack wells in Boulder County sitting with the COGCC waiting for the moratorium to be lifted. Encana was recently fined for poisoning Boulder County residents (see attached statement on so-called “mob intimidation”). Up to 1,800 wells could be drilled in unincorporated Boulder County alone, not including wells within municipalities within the county. It would mean the industrialization of Boulder County! There are currently 14 hydraulic fracturing operations taking place in Boulder County, including some on open space.

In the end, the commissioners extended the moratorium until January 24 so they can review the regulations one more time. But there is no such thing as safe and responsible fracking! Each of them made comments that they’d like to revisit the setback regulation, how far a well must be from homes and other inhabited structures. State regulations require a 350’ setback, however there is a loophole for existing wells, some of which are located in people’s backyards. Each of them suggested that perhaps 500’ or 1,000’ would be more appropriate than the state mandated 350’. In suggesting a 500’’ or 1000’ setback, the County Commissioners are committing an egregious breach or trust with the citizens they are sworn to protect.

Commissioner Toor cited “sound science” as the reason he contradicted the will of the people (70% of Boulder County residents oppose GMOs on open space) and voted to increase GMO crops on open space. In a strange turn of events, he is pulling numbers out of thin air, based on no science at all, concerning protecting the public from the health impacts of hydraulic fracturing.

The only health impact assessment of hydraulic fracturing to date was done by the Colorado School of Public Health, under the direction of Dr. Lisa McKenzie. The plug was pulled on the study when the findings began to turn out unfavorable to the oil and gas industry. Governor Cuomo recently cited the findings in that study as the reason he was delaying a decision about hydraulic fracturing in New York. The McKenzie study revealed that people living within ½ mile of a well have a 66% increased chance of developing cancer.

It is unconscionable for the Boulder County Commissioners to mislead the public that they are protecting public health with a 500’ or 1,000’ setback. Those are literally random numbers that are not based on scientific findings. In fact, they fly in the face of the science there is documenting the health impacts of hydraulic fracturing.

To add insult to all this injury, literally, our constitutional rights are being violated.

Article 2, section 3 of our state constitution says, All persons have certain natural, essential and inalienable rights… [including] the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; of acquiring, possessing and protecting property; and of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness.

Article 15, section 8 states, "the police power of the State shall never be abridged or so construed as to permit corporations to conduct their business in such a manner as to infringe the equal rights of individuals…

It is unconscionable for the Boulder County Commissioners to ignore this litany of abuses and allow this to happen to our community. Everything that makes this a place we love to call home is threatened. Everything! The urgency has never been more profound than now. This is one of those moments in history when it is time to take a stand. 

Part II coming soon...

KERR-MCGEE OIL & GAS BENZENE SPILL CONTAMINATES GROUNDWATER 17 UG/L

THE BATTERY WAS SHUT IN. THE PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON IMPACTED SOIL IS BEING EXCAVATED. GROUNDWATER WAS ENCOUNTERED IN THE EXCAVATION AT ~4` BGS. LAB ANALYTICAL RESULTS CONFIRMED BENZENE IMPACTS TO GROUNDWATER ABOVE THE CGWQS AT A CONCENTRATION OF 17 UG/L.

OFFICIAL COGCC DOCX LINK


........................................................................................................

Date Rec'd:	11/20/2012	Report taken by:	BOB CHESSON
DocNum:	2231131	API number:	05-123 -18271	Facility ID:	250468

Operator Information

Operator:	KERR-MCGEE OIL & GAS ONSHORE LP	Oper. No.	47120
Address:	P O BOX 173779 ATTN: ASHLEY COCCIOLONE  DENVER , CO 80217-3779
Phone:	(720 )929-6000	Fax:	(720 )929-7461
Operator Contact:	PAUL  SCHNEIDER

Description of Spill:

Date of Incident:	11/13/2012
Type of Facility:	WELL
Well Name/No.	HSR-BARCLAY  2-28	Fac. Name/No.
County Name:	WELD
qtrqtr: NWNE section: 28 township: 3N range: 66W meridian: 6

Volumes spilled and recovered (bbls)
Oil spilled:	Recvrd:
Water spilled:	Recvrd:
Other spilled:   0	Recved:  0
GW Impact? Y Surface water impact? N Contained within berm? N
Area and vertical extent of spill:  - X   -
Current land use:  AGRICULTURE
Weather conditions:  60 DEG F, CLEAR
Soil/Geology description  UNKNOWN
Distance in feet to nearest surface water:  535
Depth to shallowest GW:  4
Wetlands:  2700	Buildings:  1900
Livestock:	Water Wells:  320
Cause of spill:
HISTORICAL IMPACTS
Immediate Response:
THE BATTERY WAS SHUT IN. THE PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON IMPACTED SOIL IS BEING EXCAVATED. GROUNDWATER WAS ENCOUNTERED IN THE EXCAVATION AT ~4` BGS. LAB ANALYTICAL RESULTS CONFIRMED BENZENE IMPACTS TO GROUNDWATER ABOVE THE CGWQS AT A CONCENTRATION OF 17 UG/L.
Emergency Pits:
NA
How extent determined:
SOIL AND GROUNDWATER SAMPLES WILL BE COLLECTED FROM THE EXCAVATION. THE ANALYTICAL RESULTS AND EXCAVATION DETAILS WILL BE PROVIDED ON A FORM 27.
Further Remediation
WILL BE PROVIDED ON A FORM 27.
Prevent Problem:
A NEW TANK BATTERY WILL BE CONSTRUCTED.
Detailed Description:
FIELD CREWS DISCOVERED HISTORICAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON IMPACTED SOIL WHILE REMOVING THE OLD TANK BATTERY. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF LEAKING DUMPLINES, TANKS OR FITTINGS. THE VOLUME OF THE RELEASE IS UNKNOWN.