Dear Mayor Ahrens and Mayor Pro Tem Stokes of Broomfield, CO - Have you been lying to your community about abandoned oil and gas wells under their homes?

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.

NEVER RELEASED BEFORE:  Oct 6, 2013 Firestone, CO - Location of deadly explosion and abandoned well location. Image of  home developers who appear to have severed the
flow-line using heavy equipment.
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

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

Greg Stokes, Mayor pro-tem Broomfield, CO - Have a look at your neighborhood. It appears you live about 340' from an abandoned oil and gas well-bore. Does the community know they live in a field of abandoned oil and gas hazards? What is the blast radius of a failed well-bore seeping gas that ignites? Have mechanical integrity tests been conducted by the state?

4765 Capitol Court Broomfield, CO  according to the COGCC - COGIS database, it appears this residence has an abandoned oil & gas well in their backyard. Is this a hazard to all those that live within the vicinity? Will their mortage and insurance companies deny them loans or coverage?

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.

Extraction Oil & Gas LLC a mere 190' from Aspen Ridge Elementary School. Does the school have an emergency response plan to evacuate the children if the oil and gas well fails?  What if the oil and gas well ignites?  What is the blast radius? Mayor Ahren's do you have a community evacuation plan? Please inform your community immediately.

Martin Exploration Carson 1-24 abandoned oil and gas well facility on the property of Aspen Ridge Elementary School. It appears no mechanical integrity test has been conducted on Extraction's: Carlson 1-24

Click image to enlarge - continue to enlarge for details

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.




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All data sourced by COGCC: http://cogcc.state.co.us


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XTO ENERGY FACT SHEET - SPILLS, GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATIONS, VIOLATIONS AND MORE

DOWNLOAD PDF FACT SHEET HERE

XTO ENERGY is headed by Randy Cleveland who is also the Co-Chair of Governor Hickenlooper's Oil and Gas Task Force (Blue Ribbon Panel). The data is sourced from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC).

 XTO ENERGY OPERATIONS SPILLS / RELEASES: 112

• 11 SPILLS RECORDED UNKNOWN VOLUME LOSS (OPERATOR COULD NOT DETERMINE QUANTITY SPILLED)
• 101 SPILLS RECORDED VOLUMES
• 7,852 GALLONS ON AVERAGE PER SPILL - PER 101 RECORDED VOLUMED SPILLS/RELEASES

TOTAL SPILL VOLUME RECORDED 101 SPILLS

• 793,036 GALLONS OF PRODUCED WATER RELEASED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT
• TOTAL SPILL VOLUME RECOVERED FROM 101 SPILLS = 69,515
• 86% OF BERMS FAILED TO PREVENT FLUID MIGRATION

              

724,156 GALLONS OF PRODUCED WATER NEVER RECOVERED FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

PERCENTAGE OF XTO ENERGY - PRODUCED WATER VOLUMES UNRECOVERED FROM WELLPAD SPILLS = 91.3%

NO FINES WERE ISSUED

DOWNLOAD  XTO FACT SHEET HERE

SOURCE: COGCC

.

Incredibly Poignant Comment from Audience Member Regarding Fracking Presentation

I gave my 'Inconvenient Proof - a state of failures'  presentation in Timnath, Colorado just two days ago with attorney, Dan Leftwich from www.MindDriveLegal.com.  The room was packed, a standing room only, with concerned citizens from the local area and a myriad of fracking industry workers.

I am always looking for the 'opposition' to heckle our meetings as they tend to do so with delight. I personally believe it's amateur at best, that the fracking industry attends our meetings to hand out their public relations garbage with a smile.  A lie with a smile is just a bigger lie. To our delight, there were no handouts of paperwork telling us that fracking fluids are 'found in our birthday cake', 'under our sinks', 'in our ice cream' and of course the morally reckless demonstration from Governor Hickenlooper drinking a citrus based fracking fluid sans the radioactive and carcinogenic chemicals.

After our Timnath presentations were completed I was approached by an audience member who told me that just prior to coming to our meeting he/she had a fracking industry at their doorstep telling them 'If you're going to see the anti-fracking presentation tonight,  it's all lies and you should know we have our own information and our side of the story that you must see too.'

First of all, it's clear the permitting frackers in Timnath are very nervous about us speaking the truth. The frackers send people knocking door-to-door in a feeble attempt to gain community support for their side of the story.  I guess if they are trying to sell the fracking snake oil myth, they gotta do what they gotta do right?

After Mr. Leftwich and I finished our presentations we felt that many people that were 'on the fracking fence' fell to one side. The side of truth and civil rights.  Here is a comment that one particular audience member left for us.  It's as precise as it gets, and a must read.

......

'First, let me remind everyone that I am not the spokesperson for the "Protecting Timnath" group, or last evenings' speakers. I'm happy to join them, I applaud their efforts, but am not trying to represent them, or take credit for their work. I hope this will be a respectful discussion, but I make no effort to be politically correct. I am a concerned citizen of this community.

I must say again, do your own research. I know this all sounds too impossible to be true, but unfortunately, it is all true. No one thought tobacco was harmful, or believed Erin Brockovich about the pollution by CG&E at first, either. Making snide remarks and insulting the messenger does not alter the facts. 

We were shown maps, pictures, and satellite images of pollution trails, page after page taken from the COGCC's own website of violations, complaints, rulings, letters and emails. This is all public information. It is not the wild ravings of some radical, tree hugging, extremist group, as some would have you believe. Colorado does not have the strongest regulations in the country. This is just the excuse the oil companies use to try to say fracking will be safe. 

Thanks to Dick Cheney, fracking is exempt from all clean air and water regulations. Does this sound safe to you? The very agency mandated with assuring that our health and safety are protected, COGCC, is acting as if it is an arm of the Colorado Gas and Oil Assoc., even allowing COGA to pursue overturning local fracking bans on behalf of the state. Seems unbelievable, right? Look it up. 

Ask local university scientists, biologists and geologists if this process could possibly be done safely. Read the COGCC rulings for yourself, research the communities where fracking has already taken place. Find out how many billions of gallons of water has already been used, which can never be cleaned or re-enter the cycle of use, evaporation, rain, use, etc. 

Learn about the cancer rate spikes in fracking areas. Drive though Weld County and observe storage tanks of toxic waste near playgrounds and in backyards. Read the scientific analysis of what that waste actually contains. If you want to know the position of the industry, simply turn on your TV. 

We are being bombarded with ads claiming how safe fracking is. No one disputes that jobs are created, and energy produced. The problem is the cost to our health, safety, and the environment. You have to ask yourself, do you want your family to be the canary in the coal mine? How many will have to be poisoned before it's finally considered unsafe?

I did a little research and went to this meeting thinking I probably didn't want fracking under our neighborhood elementary school and I certainly didn't want to deal with the noise and lights. I came home believing that fracking will be responsible for a public health and environmental disaster far beyond our current understanding.'

- Pat Watkins

Host of Colorado Fracking Industry Failures - As Reported via my Twitter Account @fractivist

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll get to see near real-time fracking industry violation spills, violations, mishaps, fires, official documents exposed and much more.  Please follow on Twitter: @fractivist for more.

Here are a few examples of fracking industry failures that I have posted on Twitter.

Thanks for having a look!

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

1.)  @NobleColorado can you answer 'why' you have 'no' officially documented spill reports for these #fracking wellpad spills? If these are not spills then what are they, and are the accounted for?

My thoughts:  Noble Energy operates these specific wellpads and may have had fluid spills on the surface (as depicted in the satellite image). It's so much cheaper for the fracking industry to not report spills of high volumes as these appear to be. The reclamation costs would be astronomical if benzene levels were in exceedance of COGCC limits. What fracking industry operator wants to fill out a spill report and file it with the state anyway? The person that may have been liable for the spills (foreman, etc...) would undoubtedly lose his/her job, so it 'unethically makes sense' to never report spills.  

Tip: You cannot hide from a satellite, nor me, as I have all of your documents regarding these specific fracking industry facilities and there are zero reports of your alleged misdeeds.

2.) TODAY:11/24/2014 #Foundation #Energy #wellhead breaks, forcing flowline to break - releasing ~126 gal #fracking flowback fluids on Federal land. Any guess on what the fine will be? I'll give you a hint (it starts with zero and ends with zero).
LINK

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B5TICjekaSe-THNQNmV3LWgtYzQ&usp=sharing

Horizontal #fracking Permits Annually by Percentage in #Colorado 

2009 = 2.8%
2010 = 5.6%
2011 = 19.3%
2012 = 31.9%
2013 = 56.1%
2014 = 58.4%

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

FRAC FACT: #Colorado currently has 76 #oil and #gas drilling rigs punching holes into the #earth every day. 

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

FRAC FACT: Only 3,451 of the ~52,000 #fracking wells are horizontal. Over 90% of all wells are #fracking for #oil not #gas 

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

3.) How many #fracking industry chemicals can you count? 

Check the full 4 page list link below. 
LINK TO CHEMICAL DOCX

National Response Center and Four other Agencies Contacted for Massive Fracking Industry Oil Spill in National Heritage River in Colorado. UPDATE

On June 20th 2014 Colorado's Cache La Poudre River, (sometimes called the Poudre River or the Poudre), was reportedly contaminated by more than 7,500 gallons of crude oil, produced waters, and other fracking industry chemicals from a well-pad that had been impacted by excessive snow-melt runoff.

Agencies involved: 

Date Agency/Party Contact Phone Response
6/20/2014 NRC - Verbally communicated spill
6/20/2014 COGCC Rick Allison - Verbally communicated spill
6/20/2014 CDPHE - Verbally Communicated spill
6/20/2014 Noble Land Dept Landowner -
6/20/2014 Weld Co - Left message detailing spill

The Poudre’s  headwaters are in the Front Range in Larimer County, in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park. The river descends eastward in the mountains through the Roosevelt National Forest in Poudre Canyon. It emerges from the foothills north of the city of Fort Collins. It flows eastward across the plains, passing north of the city of Greeley, and flows into the South Platte River approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Greeley^{. [1]}

The Cache La Poudre river corridor is the only Colorado river that boasts a naturally self-sustaining wild trout population, and is listed as a National Heritage Area  that includes the 100-year flood plain of the river from its emergence from the mountains to its confluence with the South Platte River.^[2]

According to a ‘form 19/spill incident report’ document obtained from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s, (COGCC) the following was officially reported: ‘On May 24, 2014, in anticipation of potential flooding due to heavy precipiation and snow melt, Noble Energy shut in oil and gas wells State M36-3, M36-5,6-36,7-36, and 8-36. Flooding and field conditions impeded safe access to the wells until June 20, 2014. Immediately upon access to the tank battery unit associated with the above mentioned oil and gas wells, evidence of an unintentional release resulting from flood-releated impacts was observed. Available information indicates a loss of 173 BBLS of condensate. The cause of the unintentional release is believed to be a break in the produced water valve on the back of the condensate storage tank. Noble called a vacuum truck to the location to vacuum up pooling water as well as any remaining fluids in both the affected and nonaffected storage tank. A third party environmental emergency response consultant was called immediatley following the discovery of the unintentional release to assess the location and deploy clean up measures.’

Thanks to EcoFlight's Bruce Gorden and team member; Dom Smith, fractivist team members: Lee Buchsbaum, Chelsea Richer and I were able to film, photograph and narrate the affected area and capture on-the-ground operations by Noble Energy and the State. Video below by EcoFlight.

click images to enlarge

Investigative questions:

1.) Why was this well-pad 'not' listed as impacted from last years flood when all of the other well-pads in the area were?

2.) The industry and the State of Colorado have listed this incident as being caused by increased temperatures and heavy snow-melt runoff. Are they admitting our climate has changed?

3.) This well-pad documentation  indicates that the damaged condensate tanks 'were, in-fact' anchored down, using approved COGCC methods. This incident appears to illustrate that the anchors that fasten the tanks down are inadequate to prevent adverse impacts and the COGCC should immediately respond to their inadequate regulatory protocols for anchoring.

4.) Should this well-pad should be immediately plugged and abandoned? Yes, all fracking industry well-pads should be prohibited in a flood plain. Period.

5.) Will Noble Energy be fined for this environmental catastrophe?  Me thinks not...

Stay tuned for ongoing updates on this environmental catastrophe. We have very unique information we will be releasing shortly.


Please help us continue our work by donating today!

Please forward to all of your networks.


Thank you

Shane Davis
Chelsea Richer 
Lee Buchsbaum

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^{[1] wikipedia}

_{[2] National Park Service}

What is the Blast Radius of the Active Oil and Gas Wellhead Near these Homes and Playground?

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Colorado Fracking Flood Images Part II - COGCC Must Inspect Subsurface Flowlines

Below are more images from Colorado's first tropical rainstorm that resulted in torrential flood waters that paved its way through the center of ~21,000 active oil and gas wells in Weld County, Colorado. The State of Colorado has only scratched the surface on the collateral damage from placing active oil and gas wellpads in a flood zone. Clearly the State and the industry were not prepared for 'worst case scenarios.'

I have surveyed the flood area several times by air and dozens of times on the ground, and found the flood waters were 5' deep or more in places extending greater than 800' beyond the 'designated' flood plain. The State of Colorado has an obligation to inform the people that they do not know the extent and volumes of petrochemicals and or liquid industrial waste waters that are leaking from flowlines and other subsurface pipes from oil and gas industrial sites. Oil and gas piping is ~ 3' below ground surface (bgs) in most areas, and vast areas of topsoil was washed away exposing large sections of piping. Large trees were found resting on sections of plastic piping which would indicate probable damage from exposure to, and contact from, heavy floating debris.

The state and the industry are reporting surface discharges but fail to mention the infrastructure below ground that has a high probability of being damaged by the flood waters and debris.  The greatest probable collateral damage from petrochemical and industrial wastes being discharged may very well lie below the ground. I implore the State of Colorado to fully inspect every inch of the hundreds of miles of flowlines below ground in the flood path to abide by its mission statement to 'prevent adverse impacts to the environment and the public.'

Shane

Demand Governor Hickenlooper Enact an Immediate Statewide Moratorium on all Oil & Gas, Fracking Developments in Colorado

PETITION LINK

http://www.change.org/petitions/demand-governor-hickenlooper-enact-an-immediate-statewide-moratorium-on-all-oil-gas-fracking-development-in-colorado

MORE IMAGES BELOW OF THE FRACKING FLOOD BELOW

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE