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A Warrior's Prayer
[This struggle is truly epic as it relates to a human being in the face
of such intense and heavy industrial development.
Because I believe we are gifted immeasurable access to spiritual guidance
and influence, this is an ethereal
endeavor as much as it is physical. Learn more about Blackcloud here, and
how he plays a vital role in the development
of this issue.]
Updates
[find out what is happening on a weekly basis (when I can keep up with
it), and sign up to
get e-mail reminders. For quick summaries of the
weeks happenings, visit the Updates page]
Week 1 - The rig goes up as the first
new well gets underway
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4 - Deer near industry
operations / Divide Creek seep backgrounder - new bubbling noted
Week 5 - Fracing conversation yields
concerns / Walkabout
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10 - Our position on recent
sampling results
Week 11
Week 12 - Elk move in from high
country / Spill
Week 13 - Spill
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16 - Stakeholder meetings
in Denver on proposed rule changes
Week 17 - Rule changes, round
two
Week 18
Week 19 - Lawmakers oppose new rules
Week 20 - Walkabout
Week 21 - Garfield Creek Wildlife
area goes on the BLM chipping block - DOW defends wildlife
Week 22 - Elk shut out of historic
calving grounds
Week 23 - Letter to the editor
revealing the truth about industry's rule ratings
Week 24 - EnCana sets up a man camp
Week 25 - County takes on man camp /
private property debate
Week 26
Week 27
Week 28 - Here's what happens to
deer, who are often more comfortable around industrial operations than elk
Walkabout / 8-minutes of streaming gas in the pond /
EnCana wants us to sign a mineral lease
Week 29 - Garfield County approves
man camps on private property
Week 30 - Elk leave for the high
country - no calves.... / We sign a lease - EnCana keeps their
grubby mitts off the
land. / Discovery of gas venting holes and biofilm /
We raise questions about man camp decision
Week 31
Week 32 - Pipeline "issue"
Week 33
Week 34 - Garfield County
Commissioners slam wildlife / Take a fly-over the gas patch
Week 35 - More slamming of wildlife
Week 36 - Focus on brown cloud
health effects and "Gunky Eye"
Week 37 - EnCana's 15-month plan
/ Funky emissions
Week 38 - Demotions
Week 39 - More demotions and a
promotion / standing up for wildlife
Week 40 - Newly discovered Divide
Creek Seep / Walkabout
Week 41 - COGCC visits site - COGCC
defends prior sampling efforts / News item: man drinks benzene
Week 42 - DOW fish count /
EnCana expose from up in the territory
Week 43 - "What the hell is wrong
with this industry? 101" / COGCC volley as I try to find
answers.
Timeline of Events 01-07-04 forward
[view a photo chronology of events which have led up to and include the
latest drilling activities in our area. Included are reference maps of the
West Divide Creek Seep area, and a map depicting proposed drilling
activities; as well as a link to referenced documents relative to the seep
maintained by the COGCC and available on their website, which includes:
maps, photos, reports, letters and articles.]
Map - Dipicting West Divide Creek Seep
area
Map - Drilling Area for 40 proposed wells
East Mamm Creek Notice to area
Operators [including map]
[this Notice became active February 09, 2007 and refers to
stipulations for new drilling activity in the East Mamm Creek area.]
List of 817 (as of 11-30-07) documents
maintained on-line by the COGCC relative to the West Divide Creek Seep
Divide
Creek Seep 2008 - Main Page /
Page 2
[A comprehensive update page dedicated to tracking the progress of a new
seep discovered on June 28, 2008. Visit this page for photos, video and
other links relative to this event]
COGCC Order and Exhibit
[COGCC Order from 2004 Divide Creek Seep event / and important graphic
exhibit showing fault structures and predictions of pressurized fluid flow]
Larger image of Exhibit
Larger image of Exhibit
- including additional information not readily discernable depicting certain
critical sites relative to seep.
Zoomable image of orange gunky seep
Zoomable image of black seep
Divide Creek Then
[2004 seep event]
Divide creek Now
[at the beginning of the blog and prior to the 2008 seep event]
Why we're nervous
[as if we needed any more reasons - this demonstrates some of the air
emissions in recent years....]
Division of Wildlife 'Fish Count' - July
10, 2008
[Division of Wildlife conducts a fish and invertebrate count near the new
seep area and extending for some distance downstream. View photos and
details of the event here.]
Canary Watch
[My mother's eyes are periodically troubled by what we've long attributed
to drilling operations. We have, thus-far been unable to isolate what type
of drilling activity is involved, however. Health effects of drilling
operations so near residential areas is unknown, but finally - after citizen
complaints, recorded and alleged maladies related to this industry, and
recent congressional testimony, finally - nearly five years after
intense operations moved into the region, a study is apparently being
undertaken. We are tracking her reaction to drilling activities through
"Canary Watch" and reporting them to the COGCC when they occur, so that
we may better define a pattern and isolate the offending cause. Canary
Watch began since resumed drilling the area, with the first 3-day event
occurring on 11-17-07.]
Stand Tall
Citizen-Generated
Complaint/Report Form - Put it in writing.... (for your benefit and
theirs too)
[Fed up with the tedious process of calling every Tom Dick and Harry to
complaint about an industry 'event'? Well, you can make your life simpler by copying
this form. Submit a complaint/report to COGCC, Garfield County Oil and Gas
Liaison, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment - whomever.
This is a form I created to standardize the process of a citizen-generated
complaint, since different divisions may have different data collection
protocol - and some have no form at all. This way, you can copy or print the
form, pop it into you re-mail or enter the appropriate information and send
it as an attachment saving you and perhaps those who review it time and
effort. It's what I use, and you're welcome to use it too.]
[get vital information on citizen concerns regarding oil and gas
development. From books and documentary films to emergency call numbers and
citizen advocacy groups, this page has everything you need to stand tall.]
"Citizen's Resource Guide to Oil and Gas Development in Western
Colorado and the Greater Rocky Mountain Region"
[visual aid to understanding federal units]
Federal Unit - Visual Aid
[view letters to officials]
Letter Asking Division of Wildlife
and EnCana for Intervening Aid
for Migrating Elk Herd
[worried who to call if you have a spill on your property? Find contact
information on agencies here]
Emergency Contact
Numbers
[a couple of excerpts from COGCC's rules regarding spills and flares.
Also, find instructions for how to find the full set on the COGCC website]
COGCC Rule Excerpts
[Colorado's Governor won a rare opportunity to review and comment on the
BLM's Roan Plateau drilling plan. I sent a letter to Gov. Ritter, asking
that he support best practices and the preservation of this unique habitat.]
Letter sent to Governor
Bill Ritter regarding drilling on the Roan Plateau
2007 - 2008 COGCC RULE-MAKING PROCESS
[through the summer of 2008, citizens and other stakeholders have an
opportunity to comment on proposed rule changes in accordance with House Bill
1298 and House Bill 1341. We submitted comments outlining many of our
primary concerns.]
Comments sent to Colorado Oil and
Gas Conservation Commission Regarding Rule-Making Proposal
[After the COGCC Draft Rules were shared, stakeholders had an
opportunity to submit any additional comments relative tot he proposed draft
rules. Here is our 16 page "Good / Bad and the Ugly"]
Additional Comments sent to
Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Regarding Rule-Making Proposal
LETTERS TO EDITORS
Following are various letters to the editor in response to on-going issues
of conflict surrounding this industry and its impacts on people and the
environment we are depend on.
Man Camps and use by right on private property
Letter to Editor re: Garfield
County Commissioner's proposed allowance-by-right of man-camps on private
property
Additional E-mailed comments to Garfield
County Commissioners regarding man-camps
Letter to Editor re: Garfield County
Commissioners decision to move forward with man camp allowance by right
(This issue has since been pitched to county attorney, Don DeFord, where I
suspect it will fall away and be forgotten. What was once a good attempt by
the county has apparently gotten too hot to handle and my guess is that
folks will forget about it and it will continue to be one of those things
that industry pushes for an gets by default. We'll see if the issue
resurfaces.)
Wildlife Protections and COGCC proposed rules
Letter to Editor re: Garfield County
Commissioners egregious stance on proposed wildlife protections
Letter to Editor re: Mesa County Commissioner
Craig Meis' opinion that natural gas pads are beneficial to wildlife
Address given to attendees of 2008 Water Workshop and Impacts of Industry
[address to Western State College - Water Workshop: "Mining Energy
and Water in the West", 2008 attendees / please scroll about 1/3 down the
page on the link below to locate the address]
Address based on my review of film "Rural Impacts!"
and our experiences with the natural gas industry
Beacons and Triumphs
[Find out who has been the most active in making a positive difference in
creating a truly balanced approach to energy
development and learn about changes in legislation which help protect
your interests. Find demotions here too.]
Image Gallery
[Divide Creek Then - 2004]
[Divide Creek Now - 2007] [but, prior to
June 28, 2008 seep event]
[photos of past emission 'events']
[Summerhawk in the Colors of Autumn]
[view a panorama of Summerhawk
Valley and learn a little about our belonging to it]
[Want to send a Salute to
America's Military? Click here, copy the image and send it on!]
[Bald Eagle Surrounded by Black Emissions]
[Summerhawk in Winter's Rest]
[Summerhawk
Awakens in Spring]
[Gunnison Road Trip - May 2008]
[May, 2008 Summerhawk Walkabout]
[Summerhawk in Summer Splendor 2008 -
Part One (Divide Creek) /
Part Two (Forest)]
[Newly Discovered Seep - June 28, 2008]
[Page 2]
[Full-on
high resolution orange gunky grossness]
[Full-on
high resolution black gunky grossnesss]
[July 03 Walkabout Suprise!]
[July 4th American Flag image to share - Earth Flag
and Prayer Feathers] Scroll toward the bottom - oh, and there's a
goofy caveman picture there too!
Video Clips
[Watch pipeline emissions spew hundreds of feet into the air]
[Divide Creek during one of the most intense spring
run-offs in year]
[Funky emissions from a frac tank battery - and
bright lights from the same site at night]
Poems and Tributes
[Poem] A Thanksgiving Prayer for Peace -
"Promise"
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