Well Progress Update

No calls from Stakeholder relations - but it is a holiday week.
 

Timeline of Events  This timeline demonstrates a chronology of pivotal events and information leading up to and relative to the West Divide Creek Seep beginning in January 2004 (including pictures and map references).

Boy, I'll tell you what, revisiting all this stuff totally bummed me out. Then it just pissed me off. But, you know what, it was a good wake up call. It said - 'ding-a-ling, dumb ass, take off your rose-colored glasses and realize what really matters to multi-billion dollar industry. It sure as hell isn't what you might be asked to believe in or even hope for.' I'm done believing in the benevolence of big industry. I'm gathering back that filament of faith which I nearly allowed to wander within the crass grasp of industry's voracious feeding tube. They've shown their colors so many times before and simply appear to be revealing them once again. Any faith from me in people, planning or process must be earned. I want desperately to point out the good that industry is doing because I don't want to believe it is all bad. After all, the economics it can contribute to a region can be a benefit, but good grief... there just isn't anything. I mean relatively speaking. It is just take, take, take. and deny, deny, deny. 

The money pumped into the local economy pales compared to the immense challenges it creates for humans and wildlife. Those unfamiliar with the situation find it very hard to believe how completely unbalanced it is. If you were to compare industry to something the size of an SUV, citizens and the environment are accounted for in something like the size of a french fry that's been stomped, rolled under the seat, and by no small miracle hasn't been completely kicked out the door. And really, that's due to three things: 1) a lack of regulatory control; 2) a failure of local, state and federal governments to plan for and guide responsible development; and 3) the driving profit motive of industry. Those three attributes conspire to create a hostile environment for anyone beneath the foot of heavy industry - which is where we and others in parts of Garfield County find ourselves. Those three contributing factors nurture an environment of "get the money and run" boom-town economics.

Good grief, you know, locals can't even find contractor help with plumbing and electric because industry has created a huge drain on local trade resources, by luring qualified contractors from local jobs. Even companies who want to serve local needs can't hire anyone, because industry promises big bucks, and from what I've heard about how industry handles equipment in the field - they also provide plenty of work. Who can blame the folks hiring on and trying to make hay while the sun shines? We don't blame these people. They are simply trying to provide for their families and probably count their blessings every night for the windfall paychecks in their mailboxes. The damaging decisions, like those that trickle down in rivulets and form rivers of negative impacts are made closer to the top. Executive decisions made far from the field are what create the impacts we and others see and endure everyday, and these are the folks we expect to be accountable for better decision making.

Document reference This link will take you to a list of the 800 + official documents (titles and doc. no. references) on file regarding the West Divide Creek Seep. These public records are accessible on-line through the COGCC website. Since the seep continues, and the docs only run through part of 2005, there will doubtless be more to come.

"East Mamm Creek Area Notice to Operators (EMCA)"  This document and map demonstrate special stipulations imposed by the COGCC regarding the former West Divide Creek Seep Moratorium Area. It also shows the moratorium area.

Federal Unit visual aid. For those of you who want to know more about the odious federal unit and how, as an instrument, it provides so much overarching authority to the BLM - even on private land, check out this graphic depiction. It's a complicated concept, but fairly easy to visually figure out. I stress fairly easy. If you want to know more about what role the federal unit plays in the devastation of the west, visit the Citizen's Resource Guide.

I've got a call in about the final results on the creek sampling from 11-02-07. No call back yet. No calls from the state. No calls from EnCana. No calls from Cordilleran. Sometimes this is how it is. No surprise.
 

In The News

Note: The summary below each headline and corresponding date is my own account of the referenced article (strong editorial license included). Each article is, of course, recommended reading... if you're coming to this posting late, the Post Independent has an archive search feature.

In the Post Independent...
www.postindependent.com

Residents push for county action on planned drilling near Rifle subdivision
[11-21-07]

My summary of the article follows:  Garfield County commissioners are considering whether to ask for a hearing from the COGCC on the matter of Laramie Energy II LLC drilling near Rifle Village South, a development of around 100 homes. This doesn't surprise me at all, that a company who doesn't have to live with the impacts of their development is considering drilling so near a neighborhood, even - according to the article, at a site "wedged between two homes just outside the subdivision and near a third".

The commissioners, if they take up the plea from residents to pursue a hearing would be setting a precedent and finally demonstrating, en-mass, some active concern for citizens in the line of fire when it comes to absorbing impacts from the energy industry.

Historically, the county has only gotten involved when things go horribly wrong as in the case of the West Divide Creek Seep (and thank goodness they did, then!). It's no secret that two of the Garfield County commissioners, John Martin and Larry McGown (not running again) are pretty hands-off when it comes to the regulatory involvement with the energy industry. And Tresi Houpt, though showing consistent concern for citizens and the environmental as well as continually educating herself about this complex industry and its impacts is only one of a three member voting body, so her voice is often essentially silenced.

Under pressure from the Grand Valley Citizen Alliance, we'll see if they decide to take on the matter.

In the Post Independent...
www.postindependent.com

Exec says Laramie won't force drilling site on Rifle subdivision
[11-22-07]

My summary of the article follows:  Despite the potentially detrimental financial impact to their company, it looks like Laramie Energy II is responding to pressure from citizens in Rifle Village South, even before Garfield County commissioners take on their request for a hearing with COGCC.

In this article, an executive with Laramie said his company had only applied for the drilling permit to get the sometimes lengthy process in motion. But he also said some pretty good-sounding things about his company, their acknowledgment of the sensitivity of the area as well as citizens concerns, and their implied intent to cooperate with residents. Given residents concerns for noise, traffic, air pollution and other impacts, this is probably a welcome gesture, but at least one citizen advocate is wary of such talk.

As people who have been and continue to be strongly impacted by industrial impacts, I can appreciate the position of the folks of Rifle Village South. It is a fearful prospect, and you feel completely without a voice - at least one that is heard. This is why it is imperative that Garfield County stand up and account for  anticipated impacts to its residents - particularly in light of the revenues enjoyed by the county from this industry.

Laramie seems willing to consider other drilling locations, but like most operators, seems to prefer to drill where operations are most easily initiated and conducted. Easier usually means cheaper, and that means more profit. The preexistence of  roads, water resources and accessible topography usually coincide with residential development which is attractive to the energy industry. Why build your own stuff when you can use someone else's? Why deal with topographical difficulties when you can drill in the middle of a hay field? On the other hand, the creation of roads for every single padsite should bear great weight in permitting decisions, because the more roads there are, the greater the fracturing of habitat and potential for a dust-bowl scenario. The bottom line is, counter to industry opinion, sometimes drilling is simply not appropriate or safe. But when the quest for profits outweighs a planned and phased approach to energy extraction it creates an open door for profit seeking competitors in a fragile and poorly considered environment. Welcome to Garfield County, Colorado.

One of the reasons Garfield County may be reluctant to take on this issue is because they must prove the detriment to the neighborhood and, also according to COGCC rules, any objection cannot impose undue financial challenges to the operator. This can be a tall order, particularly when it is industry who holds most of the cards and technical expertise in making such determinations and arguing for or against profitability. It really is the place of the county to intervene however, as such technical resources are far beyond the scope of most residents.

National Wildlife Federation

www.nwf.org/action

The following is quoted from the National Wildlife Federation's action alert:

"Thanks in part to your recent action, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 (H.R. 2262) passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 1, 2007!"

"This bill helps update the century-old 1872 Mining Law, which for too long allowed companies to buy up America's public lands at dirt-cheap prices--no clean-up required."

"Thank you for helping protect wildlife from destructive mining practices!"

"The victory is not complete until H.R. 2262 passes the Senate. Please keep an eye out for updates on the next vote. Let's keep this momentum going!"
 

From The Styx
http://fromthestyx.wordpress.com

Lisa Bracken's Journey
[November 21, 2007]

Peggy Tibbetts, a local writer who keeps up (much better than I) with her interesting posts conducted an interview with me this month. She asked me some pretty thoughtful and compelling questions; and, I appreciate the opportunity to share my views with her subscribers. Thanks Peggy.

...and this is a good thing. I don't want to witness - as we did several years ago - what effects drilling, fracing and pipeline operations could have on this historic herd.

The temps, however, have dropped and are sustaining. Snows are right around the corner. I expect our herd will turn up within the next three to four weeks, if we get a couple deep snows.
 

Entry - 11-22-07
Thanksgiving
 

On Thanksgiving day, a day Native American's embraced European settlers in good will and friendship, and shared with them the bounty of the land and their spirit of community - on this Thanksgiving day, I said a prayer, like I do every day throughout the day, for the world. A world that millennia into our evolution as a species is as torn by strife and conflict as it has ever been. A world of people often separated by ideology, dogma and cultural elitism - and yet, are all so very much the same. On this day and every day, I thank the spirit world for the blessings that have been given to us - for the challenges that make each of us stronger, more resolute and more receptive to the broader spectrum of life.

I ask the spirit world to guide each of us in our own way to protect and defend the innocent while helping us yield to our own vulnerabilities and inviting divine guidance into our hearts, in a way which will guide us away from our warring tendencies and toward greater peace inwardly so that we may share our surplus with others and create a better world for all. This is a world I hope deeply we will one day see.

I ask that they help me be aware of and avoid my transgressions upon others. Help me notice those beyond my immediate need, but who exist on the fringe, perhaps upon the cusp of their own destruction or that of another.

Help me to maintain a clear heart vision that I may be more worthy of the blessings and many daily miracles given to myself and my family. Help me to give more to others without expectation. Help me to hear the true voice of my adversaries - beyond the bluster - and attune to the resonate tone of their deepest wounded need. Help each of us act in the small, constant  ways of peace so that each of us and those we touch can find deeper, truer, and more aware belonging while we are, for the spark of an instant unfolding within the drawn perspective of our time, a part of this sacred plane.

Help us to fulfill the true purpose of our existence - to learn to love one another. Help us to better define that meaning within ourselves, and - through our inspired vision - others. Help us, Great Spirit, the great and guiding spirit of all good, by whatever name, by whatever image, to find our way in peace.

Promise - a prayer for peace...

Though I know how important it was, getting the "Timeline" aspect of this site up was an exercise in self-abuse.

It reminded me of how much hell I and my family went through dealing not only with the seep, the state, the county and the industry, but the year prior fighting with EnCana over easements and illegal access. I sat back, grew depressed, cursed, wept and thought to myself how this feels like the same thing all over again. And guess what. I've pretty much had it with listening to the endless stream of crap fed to us by certain officials (you know who you are) and corporate stooges (you know who you are) who, because of our acknowledging nods, are convinced we're buying their line of BS.

Good grief, get over yourselves. 

This entry has coincided with not only a revisit to the tumultuous past, but also the inane musings, politically motivated commentary and spectacularly ignorant responses of (thankfully) only a handful of persons either completely eaten up with stupidity and selfish disregard or who are perhaps only terminally afflicted with rectalitis. [Rectalitis refers to a term coined by my 'executive' uncle who found himself trapped in a thirty year career circulating among the flotsam of the toilet bowl of corporate culture. It refers to one who has managed to impale their head up their own ass and, due to the extreme tension of their normal physical and emotional state, cannot extract it.]

So, this day, I resolve to waste no more of my time nurturing the lame hope that somehow, suddenly - after all the crap that we've all had to deal with - industry has grown a conscience.  Life is too precious to spend even one minute more listening to some idiot tell me how all our concern is baseless - just some sad figment of our imaginations. We're actually very keenly aware of the position in which we've been placed. So, any of you jerkwads who want to waste my time and take up my life again just so I can have the privilege of you telling me I'm full of shit - go find another schmuck to buy your line of crap. I will always parlay with someone who brings reason to the table. I will always share ideas with those who think differently than I and who may possess a different viewpoint than mine. I will respect those who also respect me. But I will no longer listen to bull feathers. I'm done being indulgent. So much for the short-lived diplomacy of my French heritage. I feel the fire-in-the-blood Irish moving in. Good thing I have a broad genetic selection to draw from. Mutt that I am.

I pray for and practice peace every day of my life all day long - but by no means should I be mistaken for a either a dumb-ass or a pacifist.  Well, ok, sometimes a dumb-ass - I'm only human.

I will always speak the truth and fight a fair fight - even if doing so gives my adversary a temporary advantage. Truth and justice will, I strongly believe, always prevail. Even if not in this lifetime, these principals will eventually prevail in the larger scheme of things. I answer to a much higher authority than mankind's scraps and squabbles speak to.

And, in accordance with my beliefs, I will always pray for the enlightenment of my adversaries and any general idiots who proliferate on this planet - but not at the expense of our own sacrifice. I learned that lesson way back in eighth grade brawling in a parking lot.  You can hope that transgressors will see the folly of their ways, but hope is neither a plan nor a defense. And I believe in the wisdom of this old saying: The right of one person to swing their fist ends where another's nose begins.

Irish insensibilities step aside...

The Comanche war cry echoes through the woods... that'd be me and the spirit of Blackcloud, my enduring wingman. The free wind that stirs and sustains  my spirit emerges. 

The dividing line between reasonable balance and irresponsible disregard has been drawn and defined by others, but the just side on which I stand will not go undefended. And this is the spirit in which I fight. It is this spirit in which I will always stand for what I believe is right.

Some people understand that. Even people in industry, but who have sold too much of their soul to speak beyond the confines of corporate loyalty. And some people don't understand it at all. My principals don't depend upon another's validation of what I value. What gripes industry is that they have to deal with principals at all. It's a lot easier for industry when someone tucks tail, rolls over or holds out their hand. All we've ever asked for is to be regarded fairly as we strive to do the same.  But, industry does not operate with moral guidance - though the people in industry are sometimes able to influence corporate mandate (usually at a hard fought cost). Only after all this time has EnCana, at least, learned that we are not unreasonable - though at times, I'm pretty sure they suspect we are. But that is only because they are viewing our actions through a corporate lens clouded by the prevailing glare of profit.

Once they remove the power goggles they usually see that we will work very hard to be fair and our concerns are always legitimate. I think, though, that they are used to playing games with people. A lot of times games work. Not with us, and that they at last recognize this about us is what keeps a line of conversation open, even at the most tense and difficult of times. It's also, however, why I am no longer indulging the opinion of toadies tarnished with the patina of greed.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

-- African proverb

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