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.




please forward far and wide and leave a comment

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


.

What's Hiding Under Your Home? Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells in Firestone, CO

Here is a sneak peek as to what's under your home in Firestone, Colorado.

Firestone received international attention as the location of the deadly home explosion that killed two men and injured others. And just weeks after, four miles North, a second deadly explosion killed one man and sent others to a burn center when a tank holding approximately 4,000 gallon of highly flammable oil and gas exploded.

The City of Firestone has some explaining to do to its community residents as to why they appear to have allowed residential homes to be built on top or near abandoned oil and gas well site locations.

The City of Firestone immediately blocked me on Twitter because I was sharing 'right to know' information to its residents. What are you hiding Firestone?

Did the home owners ever know they were purchasing a home that was built on top of an abandoned oil and gas well?

I demonstrated in June of 2012, to the City of Loveland's Mayor, Gutierrez, that it is morally and ethically reckless to allow the development and sale of homes on top or near abandoned wells, but it appears that this 'Setback Loophole' favors the oil and gas industry and home developers and not public health, safety, welfare and environment.

This is not an oversight, it's a designed loophole that appears to be willful and negligent.

What say you Mr. Mayor of Firestone? Shall I walk door to door with a map of your City and explain to the residents that it appears public safety information may have been withheld from them? Or rather, the potential for catastrophe was approved by the City?

The citizens have a right to know if someone has marginalized their safety and that of their family.

Do the residents of Firestone know the City of Firestone appears to have approved the reckless development in pursuit of money over safety?

The maps below are a snippet of oil and gas locations in Firestone, CO. The data was derived from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's GIS website. http://cogcc.state.co.us/#/home

Mr. Mayor, it looks like your home and other homes in your neighborhood appear to be in some form of danger.


CLICK TO ENLARGE - then expand or use large monitor

Firestone Mayor, Sorensen and Mayor Pro-Tem, Bobbi Sindelar live in a neighborhood with what appears to be, abandoned oil and gas wells under homes.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Directional Locations (well-bore locations under ground in Firestone, CO)

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Planned development of Coal Ridge Middle School 2002

Development of Coal Ridge Middle School complete

Subsurface locations of well-bores indicating it lies beneath Coal Ridge Middle School

Distances of oil and gas - heavy industry (dangerous equipment) near areas of special concern.

Does Anadarko Petroleum Want Firestone Home Explosion Information Kept Secret?

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5TICjekaSe-UlhScmZPSFZJQjQ ...........

IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN ALL OIL AND GAS WELLS IN ALL CITIES IN COLORADO | PETITION

SIGN HERE

Petition by SHANE DAVIS

To be delivered to The Colorado State House, The Colorado State Senate, and Governor John Hickenlooper

An abandoned gas line that had never been disconnected from a nearby well was at the root of a deadly home explosion in Firestone, CO on April 17. Two people died in the gas explosion and another in critical condition. 

This tragedy could have been prevented. The lives of Colorado citizens and the environment are still in imminent and grave danger due to you allowing the development and operation of oil and gas wells in occupied neighborhoods, elementary schools, playgrounds, public spaces, rivers, hospitals all across Colorado.


SIGN PETITION HERE



GOVERNOR JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER 


WE DEMAND: 

1.  SHUTTING DOWN ALL OIL AND GAS WELLS IN ALL RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND OUTLYING AREAS IN THE STATE OF COLORADO. AN IMMEDIATE INJUNCTION SHOULD BE PLACED ON ALL OIL AND GAS ACTIVITY. 

2.  MECHANICAL INTEGRITY TESTS BE CONDUCTED IMMEDIATELY ON ALL ACTIVE AND ABANDONED OIL AND GAS WELLS IN COLORADO. 

3.  CLOSURE OF THE 'SETBACK LOOPHOLE.' In 2012 I discovered a Setback Loophole and introduced a bill to close it – but the unfortunately, the bill died. COGCC Rule 602(d) states: “Existing wells are exempt from the provisions of these regulations as they relate to the location of the well.” This Setback Loophole allows any ‘completed’ well to be re-entered and re-drilled regardless of proximity to a structure. And home developers are exempt from any state setbacks from oil and gas operations. This appears to be reckless endangerment and must cease and desist immediately. 

4.  IMPLEMENTING A ‘REVERSE SETBACK’ for commercial developers that is based on good science health studies and current failure data to ascertain a distance from oil and gas wells that provides public health, safety and welfare and environment. 

5.   'CLOSURE OF THE 'WAIVER LOOPHOLE'  
The ‘Waiver Loophole’ allows any operator to not abide by any rule or regulation regarding oil and gas development and operations that causes them ‘undue financial burden.’With a single sentence from the oil and gas industry that states “abiding by this rule will cause XYZ operator and its operations undue financial burden” the industry then does not have to abide by the rule or pay its expense to do so, and is then waived by a simple signature of COGCC Director Matt Lepore. 

6.  THE COGCC PLACE AN IMMEDIATE HALT ON THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS not yet approved or applied for as of the March 23 Martinez verdict, and to begin a balanced process that provided public healthy, safety and environment. 

7.  WE DEMAND OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO SAFETY 

8.  LOCATION AND ID OF ABANDONED WELS AND FLOW-LINES UNDER OR NEAR COLORADO CITIZEN'S HOME AND THE CITIZEN'S SHOULD BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY OF WELL LOCATIONS. 

9. ALL 60,000+ MILES OF FLOW-LINES IN COLORADO BE INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY 


o 17.5% of all fracking industry spills had already caused ground water contamination in a statewide study. 

o 40% of spills contaminated groundwater in Weld County, where Firestone is located. My studies, were confirmed accurate three years later by Matt Lepore, Director of the COGCC. If any company had contaminated groundwater at a 40% rate they would no doubt be shut down 

On June 12, 2012 I attended a fracking study session in Loveland, Co where I told the Mayor, planning and zoning commission they could create their own setbacks from fracking industry oil and gas wells. I told them they should locate every active and abandoned well in their city and outlying county and develop new homes away from existing wells in order to protect public health, safety and welfare. I recently contacted the city of Loveland to acquire the recording of said presentation, and they said that they 'purged it from their system.' It no longer exists. 

In 2011 the COGCC requested emergency funding in Florence, CO for explosive levels of methane seeping into more than a dozen homes from an abandoned well more than 1,000’ away. The homes had to be 
immediately evacuated. For perspective, the home in Firestone was 170’ away from an abandoned well. 

There are COGCC documents that illustrate numerous homes in Colorado are build on top of abandoned oil and gas wells and in a few cases, the home exploded due to methane seepage into the basements. One person was taken to the burn center.

These are some of the imposed dangers you have placed upon us Governor John Hickenlooper, and it is time to cease and desist what appears to be reckless endangerment of Colorado citizens. In addition, commercial developers can develop closer to oil and gas wells than the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commissions’ (COGCC) setbacks allow. 

I warned the Governor and COGCC  that an incident like Firestone would happen. He ignored me. He ignored the COGCC's own failures and in doing so, he failed to prevent the Firestone catastrophe from happening. There is no doubt a catastrophic tragedy like Firestone or worse, will happen again if the State of Colorado does not act immediately to pass statewide laws that protect the “civil rights to safety” of Colorado citizens and that of the environment and not favor the oil and gas industry. 

LINK TO SIGN PETITION

LINK TO FURTHER DATA

SETBACK LOOPHOLE AND COGCC FAILURES

 LINK TO DEAR GOVERNOR HICKENLOOPER FILM

Dear Boulder County Commissioners

Dear Boulder County Commissioners,

Cindy Domenico, Deb Gardner, Elise Jones:

What can I say?

What can I say that I haven't already said for the last seven years of my life to you, other commissioners, city councils, senators, governors, and hundreds of thousands of Coloradans, media everywhere and the entire United States? I have even told the fracking industry the facts on their oil and gas state of failures. 

I will now re-iterate.

I warned everyone an incident like Firestone would happen. The probability exists that an oil and gas related catastrophe in residential neighborhoods will happen when industry infrastructure and realistic setbacks are not created.  There is no doubt a catastrophic tragedy will happen if Boulder County does not act immediately to pass local laws that protect the “civil rights to safety” of Boulder County citizens and that of the environment  and not favor the oil and gas industry.

Firestone, Colorado home exploded in fireball. Two men died.

I have probably reviewed more than a half million Colorado Oil and Gas documents, I have seen documents that illustrate explosive levels of methane and other gases seeping into dozens of homes that had to be evacuated by the COGCC. I have seen documents that show how the Laramie Fox-Hills Aquifer was contaminated with methane and toluene (a fracking fluid) by a well casing leak. Private water wells all over the state have been contaminated by oil and gas operations. Methane and fluid migrations can travel over one mile in distance.

I have seen thousands of spill reports that showed 17.5% of all fracking industry spills had already caused ground water contamination in a statewide study.  And a staggering 40% of spills contaminated groundwater in Weld County, where Firestone is located. My studies, which are nothing more than the COGCC’s own documents, were confirmed accurate three years later by Matt Lepore, Director of the COGCC. If any company had contaminated groundwater at a 40% rate they would no doubt be shut down.

I have reviewed documents that illustrate numerous homes in Colorado are build right on top of abandoned oil and gas wells and in a few cases, the home exploded due to methane seepage into the basements.  One person was taken to the burn center.

In 2011 the COGCC requested emergency funding in Florence, CO for explosive levels of methane seeping into more than a dozen homes from an abandoned well more than 1,000’ away. The homes had to be immediately evacuated.  For perspective, the home in Firestone was 170’ away from an abandoned well.

According to a Cornell University Study: 60% of well-bores fail after 20 years. Meaning; the structural integrity of wellbores degrade, corrode, crack and fall apart after twenty years.

There are six abandoned wells in Boulder City proper that are over 80 years old that appear to be in homeowner’s backyards or underneath or near occupied homes.  There are nearly one dozen other abandoned wells that exist in the surrounding areas of the City of Boulder.

There is an 80+ year old abandoned well under Valmont reservoir and two abandoned wells the same age on the beaches of the Boulder Reservoir where, >300,000 people visit annually. There is also an abandoned oil and gas well from the 1930’s less than 200’ feet from Creekside Elementary School. Nearly the same distance as the well in Firestone.

BOULDER, COLORADO

On June 12, 2012 I attended a fracking study session in Loveland, Co where I told the Mayor, planning and zoning commission they could create their own setbacks from fracking industry oil and gas wells.  I told them they should locate every active and abandoned well in their city and outlining county and develop new homes away from existing wells in order to protect public health, safety and welfare.

In 2012 I discovered a Setback Loophole and introduced a bill to close it – but the unfortunately, the bill died. COGCC Rule 602(d) states: “Existing wells are exempt from the provisions of these regulations as they relate to the location of the well.” This Setback Loophole allows any ‘completed’ well to be re-entered and re-drilled regardless of proximity to a structure. And home developers are exempt from any state setbacks from oil and gas operations. This appears to be reckless endangerment and must cease and desist immediately.

August 2012 I gave a formal presentation to the COGCC entitled “The Failures of the State of Colorado to Prevent or Mitigate Adverse Impacts to its Citizens and the Environment.”  LINK

The grand loophole of all exists in the COGCC Rules and Regulations. The entirety of the COGCC’s regulations are nothing more than worthless words due to a ‘Waiver Loophole’ that allows any operator to not abide by any rule or regulation regarding oil and gas development and operations that causes them ‘undue financial burden.’

With a single sentence from the oil and gas industry that states “abiding by this rule will cause XYZ Operator and its operations undue financial burden” the industry then does not have to abide by the rule or pay its expense to do so, and is then waived by a simple signature of COGCC  Director Matt Lepore.  This is the 'Comprehensive Waiver Loophole.'  

I lived in Firestone. It was not only a horrific inspiration to launch a full state-wide resistance against the unregulated fracking industry and the State agencies that gave them right of way over public health safety and environment, but it forced me to move to a place that did not have any real immediate danger. I could not protect myself from the inherent dangers of the fracking industry.

FIRESTONE, CO - each red dot = +|- 52 active wells

Our civil rights to safety have been stripped from us by federal exemptions and enforced by state supremacy that is arbitrary and capricious, which appears to recklessly endanger public health safety and environment.

As I've said for years now, this is not an anti-fracking issue, it's a civil rights issue and every single human has the constitutional right to live without obstruction to safety. Facts don’t lie, the oil and gas industry and the COGCC do. I believe Firestone could have been prevented, and I tried like hell to prevent it.

I don’t want to ever come back here and tell you what needs to be done as far as moral and ethical obligations to the people and environment of Boulder County.  You know what to do to protect the people and we are all counting on you to be as courageous as us. Even if you battle the odds and lose, we will still support you for your courage. The best option is to never allow fossil fuel extraction into Boulder County and we are counting on you to protect us.

We are smarter than a fossil fuel and ‘We Are the Energy of Change.’

Shane Davis

May 1, 2017

Boulder County 

Feel free to email the Boulder County Commissioners your thoughts or simply cut and paste the above information.

commissioners@bouldercounty.org

ADDITIONALLY:  In this anti-fracking/civil-right movement, or any other movement, I do not condone acts of violence, rhetoric or any action that is not peaceful and safe. Any person who speaks of acts of violence or conducts such acts, are not an associate of mine and should be held accountable for their actions under the system of fair and just law.

...........

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

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Water shortage pits farmers, drillers against each other

FOX 31 Denver
9/9/2012

LONGMONT, Colo. — Just west of I-25, along Highway 119, about 50 protestors lined up outside Encana Oil and Gas in Longmont. 

Organizers say it was a surprise protest by concerned citizens and farmers about water. The protest lasted about two hours.

Continue reading...