Brian Macke, current Director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), announced his resignation this week and, according to reports, will be seeking employment within the private sector.

It was under Macke's leadership that the Divide Creek seep situation developed and continues to be mitigated.

I have always held the opinion that the seep was prematurely and inappropriately geographically delineated. And, I feel that that single yet far-implicating action may have resulted in an incomplete assessment of the hydrogeology within the former moratorium area. This, I believe, may have led to recent permitting of drilling operations conducted on a basis of insufficient information.

Since the beginning of the Divide Creek seep, I and my family made repeated efforts to demonstrate verbally and in writing to investigating officials what we considered inappropriate delineation. We based our assessment on our and others' observations that the original reporting location was very quickly relegated to inattention, and other areas of what appeared to my family and others to be obvious seep activity were treated similarly, while the focus of attention was immediately confined to an area which demonstrated the greatest visual disruption - and notably least opportunity for denial.

Though we had never, in our fourteen years of living here, noted any of the activity in our beaver ponds and upper meadow that we observed when the seep was first discovered, our assessment and integrity were immediately drawn into question. I suppose this is one of the reasons why I feel sick to my stomach even as I write this. It is bad enough that these events occur. It's worse that landowners are essentially relied upon to report these kinds of events; but, then to do so voluntarily only to be met with an attitude of presumed disrepute is difficult to take.

While some preliminary sampling was conducted by the COGCC, we were told that pond environments were difficult to sample accurately, and biogenic methane appeared to be the culprit of the emission activity. Though, later, during hearings, one aspect of EnCana's defense was that it is often difficult to distinguish between biogenic and thermogenic gases. In fact, one of the reasons for this is due to the presence of hydrocarbon consuming bacteria which are typically associated with the presence of thermogenic gas. Interestingly, the pond which officials insisted all along was bubbling under normal, decomposing, biogenic activity, had never bubbled before - to any observable degree. Shortly after the remediation efforts on the Schwartz well, this area ceased bubbling - and thankfully remains so as of this entry date.

Further, large rounded patches of dead vegetation in our upper meadow and similar areas on surrounding properties, indicated, to me and others, the presence of methane and the resultant suffocation of plant life. Again, some preliminary sampling was purportedly conducted by EnCana, and the results suggested that the seep had not occurred in those areas. We were told that the sudden die-off which happened to concur with the on-set of the seep was a completely natural phenomenon -- along with a substantial line of young pine trees which suddenly died. Interesting, we had never before witnessed such an occurrence. Coincidentally, after the remediation of the Swartz well, the grass cover returned the following Spring and fortunately hasn't experienced any sudden, cluster-related die-offs since.

So, while it appeared to us and others, that these events were clearly related to the seep and indicted potential exit points of the escaping natural gases, they were neatly disregarded as the state focused its attentions on the most visible and perhaps easily tested areas of interest.

While the areas that failed to capture the attention of officials - and which range over some distance, may or may not have exuded certain attention-getting constituents, they still bear, in my opinion, great weight in terms of proper assessment of faulting structures and the ability of the subsurface to communicate at multiple exit points with the surface. And this, I fear most ardently, has led to the state permitting new drilling operations on a basis which indicates an incomplete assessment of environmental safety.

While we repeatedly requested the COGCC take these issues into serous consideration, both our verbal and written inquiries into this particular administrative phenomenon were typically ignored.

Most genuine experts in any field share the opinion that one cannot make a sound judgment without examining all the relevant facts. Obviously, facts which are conveniently or prematurely disregarded can lead to inaccurate and ultimately useless conclusions.

Though a hydrogeologic study was undertaken by Garfield County and funded by monies collected by COGCC from the fine levied against EnCana as a result of the seep, the region of the seep activity  was not considered in the scope of data collection. This was purportedly due to EnCana and the COGCC having already undertaken sufficient sampling of the officially recognized seep area.

Unfortunately, it is easy to fail to account for motives, influences and conflicts of interest which can taint such efforts when industry conducts study largely under its own initiative, largely on its own discretion and definitely on its own dime. I am not suggesting that any sampling was tainted; as I fervently hope it has been precise and accurate all along; I am, however, acknowledging the potential for it.

During the height of the seep activity, I and my family expressed a great deal of interest in the health of Divide Creek itself, given the release of benzene and other harmful constituents into it. In response to that concern, we were grateful that EnCana commissioned a benthic (aquatic life) study of the creek. We as landowners, together with representatives from a number of other families were invited to an initial meeting in which the scope of the study was to be discussed and we were, in fact, invited to submit our comments, concerns, etc. Months into the study, the results of which were supposed to have been made public, the study ceased. Our multiple inquiries into the results were ignored. Years later, I finally received word that there was an 'issue' with the person heading the study. To my knowledge the study was never completed... but why? Besides landowners, both the state and county relied upon EnCana's initiative to yield results, the logistics and costs of which would have otherwise fallen to state or county entities to absorb. Where are the results? Was the study re-tooled, or picked up and carried forward by another study lead? Where are the results of the study conducted to the date of the sudden and mysterious cessation. 

I'm still foolishly waiting for the conclusions of this study to surface.
 

I and my family spent the afternoon in Summerhawk Valley, and observed various areas of (West) Divide Creek, where it meanders through the Eastern edge of the property.

We were concerned to discover an increase in bubbling activity near the newer, eastern portion of the old beaver pond (the older area was initially involved in state sampling efforts, but today is placid and reflects no surface disturbance). I had been watching this area for a few weeks now, having noticed very slight surface disturbance several weeks ago.

Today's observations have given me a range of time by which I have been able to compare previous observations. There now appear to be noticeable increases in surface disturbance activity.

This prompted our further investigation of other areas of the creek.

Unfortunately, an entirely new area of the creek, where the waters have been damned, has begun to show activity also - where none had been previously noted.

I notified EnCana and the Oil and Gas Liaison of these observations. I will notify the COGCC Monday morning. What this means, I cannot say, all I can do is report the observations I have made. All I know for sure is that the characteristics of surface disturbance have increased and/or appeared since our last period of observation.

If this activity persists, I will place a reference map on the site, as I realize how difficult it is to visualize the subtle distinctions in these geographic areas. However, to get a general idea of where the pond is located, you can go to the Summerhawk page, and if you look toward the bottom of the cliff to the left, you'll see a wide patch of reflection... that is Divide Creek and the beaver pond to which I am referring. As the beaver hang out in Summerhawk a great deal, other ponds on other properties were involved in the seep investigation as well, which is reflected in COGCC documentation on their website.
 

A meeting has been established for me to discuss with EnCana's Drilling Manager the anticipated method of fracing to be used on the 40 proposed wells. Fracing involves injecting, under force, fluids into tight sands formations, thereby cracking into and propping open the surrounding areas along the recovery zone and encouraging gas flow. Prior to the advent of this controversial technique, the recovery of natural gas from tight sands formations had been deemed unprofitable.
 

"Grass Mesa residents OK winter drilling proposal"
10-19-07
Residents agree to accept half a million in a plan to allow winter drilling in their area. With resident approval in hand, EnCana plans to approach the BLM to lift winter drilling restrictions which were placed in order to protect big game, such as elk, and their winter habitat. EnCana offers 8,000 acres temporary refuge in exchange...

"BLM rejects three wildlife groups' drilling plan protest"
10-20-07
Another situation which involves the question of BLM's abdication of responsibility to protect big game from drilling impacts (139 wells near Parchute - proposed by EnCana). This time, mule deer seem to be at ground zero.

"Energy industry truck spills fluids south of Silt"
10-16-07
A fracing truck crashes and spills fluids - but according to vague references to certain (perhaps exemptions?) parameters classifying the fluid, we're assured, things are still lovely just over the hill. (A neighbor phoned me as he observed this activity from his home)

"Head of state oil, gas commission resigns amid big changes"
10-19-07
Brian Macke resigns as Director of COGCC
 

This week I awoke from an apocalyptic dream in which our home and nearby vicinity was surrounded by workers in hardhats, engulfed in billowing black smoke and fire from some unexpected drilling catastrophe. The soils around and beneath our home had loosened and become flowing, and there was some resolve that things had generally come undone. At some point, some mildly panicked state official shouted "We never expected this!" 

I bring this up because, depressing as it is, I am endeavoring to disclose the true impacts of this kind of activity - and this is one of them. After three years of battling this industry just to keep our heads above water, a kind of self-assessed distress syndrome associated with protracted trauma has evolved. And that, coupled with the anxiety of what may yet unfold bears down on the heartiest of constitutions.

I suppose in some pathetic way, I am subconsciously deluded that I possess some kind of 'control' over this situation - probably due to my investment of time in this website and disclosure of activities. That is, my effort to at lest reveal what is happening if not have an influence over it. This illusion of proactive involvement - as actually meaningless as it may be, makes the realization of the actual loss of control that much more pronounced. Hence, I suspect, the dream.

While this was only a nightmarish self-conjured image, I did experience an unusual insight into a poorly studied soil phenomenon a few days prior to this dream event, which involved a scientific term that I never could have imaged - yet saw in a dream-like vision. The word revealed itself to me associated with evident, though vague, soil structure disturbance. After the alarming nightmare mentioned above, I "Googled" this word and was not only amazed that it existed. It is actually relevant to soil structure. While I have no idea what this means, I do believe that I have been intuitively guided to a source of obscure information, which I would otherwise not have been privy to. Perhaps this is the outlying thread which will lead me to some inner-revelation of an event yet to come. This same type of thing happened with the seep. Information was intuitively revealed to me over the course of a couple of months which yielded potential proof - should it be necessary - to determine precisely how long the seep had been in effect. A primary defense of EnCana's was that the seep was pre-existing. It was not.

Again, I don't know what this could mean, but I am paying attention.
 

Many of the migratory birds are winging through (and looking for chow!) This morning, we noted the presence of four evening grosbeaks and several juncos. No chickadees yet, however. A magpie, flicker and titmouse made their seasonal debut at a feeder also. Of course, before we sat down to a hot bowl of beans and cornbread this evening, we whipped up a batch of suet for our bird friends - who often share (voluntarily or otherwise) with the deer, raccoons and one chipmunk who seemed very surprised by the early season snow. This week will be one of winterizing the cabin, as winter has caught us a bit by surprise too!

Summerhawk's resident badger has widened the entrance to its house - and it's huge! I'll post pictures from Summerhawk during this extraordinary time of seasonal change next week.  
 

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