Garfield County Health Assessment Study

Garfield County residents met Tuesday, June 17, in the new Rifle campus of the Colorado Mountain College to hear about the risks of living in the gaspatch.

Even though recent headlines stated, “No Health Crisis in GarCo,” researcher Teresa Coons of the Grand Junction-based Saccomanno Research Institute noted there may be certain trends that warrant additional attention.   Other presenters repeatedly pointed to elevated background levels of benzene, a known carcinogen.  Benzene and other volatilized organic compounds (VOCs) escape into the atmosphere at all stages of natural gas development, said Dr. Russ Walker, professor of Environmental Sciences at Mesa State College.

According to the speakers, more data was needed to reach definitive conclusions about the health risks of living in Garfield County.   “Maybe we didn’t collect enough data,” said Jim Rada, Garfield County Environmental Health Specialist.  The researchers suggested more data collection and sample sites, different sampling techniques, and sampling at well pads during all stages of the drilling process.

Members of the audience, which included concerned citizens and energy company representatives, asked Dr. Russ Walker if he would live in a house that had a drilling rig installed nearby.  He responded by saying that it depends, but he’d “seriously consider moving” if the operators did not use “green completion” techniques.

Dr. Teresa Coons, researcher for the Saccomanno Institute, and Mayor Pro-Tem of Grand Junction, recently  explained her findings during an interview with Colorado Public Radio.

The report didn’t cost tax payers anything.  The study was funded by the fees collected from EnCana for their responsibility with the Divide Creek seep.

 

WORC launches biodiesel bus tour

At their semi-annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, staff and board members of the Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) toasted the launching of the Homegrown Prosperity – Renewable Energy Biodiesel Bus Tour.  Seven WCC staff members and two WCC Board members participated in the event.

The 12-week bus tour, which will include seven states in the Rocky Mountain West, aims to foster homegrown prosperity by developing alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy, including biofuels, renewable electricity, energy efficiency, and local foods production and capacity. In addition, the tour hopes to highlight the urgent need to address climate change and our current dependence on fossil fuels.

The Biodiesel Bus will make its first official stop in Colorado on August 1 when it visits the Garfield County Fair.  From there, the bus travels to the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival in Olathe on August 2, the Ridgway Farmers Market on August 3, and several events in Grand Junction on August 7-8.  Stay tuned for more details!

 

Speaking up for wilderness in Washington II

Written Tuesday, May 20, 2008, by Monica Wiitanen.

First thing Monday (yesterday!) morning, we went to the Wayburn Wilderness House for our orientation. Tips on lobbying, packets of information to hand out, maps, and a schedule of our meetings during the three days on Capitol Hill were provided to us. With guidance from Steve Smith (The Wilderness Society) and Marcia Argust (Campaign for America’s Wilderness), plans were made to ensure that all the important points would be covered at each meeting.

By Tuesday afternoon, we’d med with staff of 7 Senators and 3 Representatives, Congresswoman DeGette, as well as with staff of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee.  After introductions, at each of these meetings we talked about the proposed Dominguez Canyon Wilderness within the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. We talked about why Dominguez is such a special place and deserves protection, showed the photographs we’d brought along, and asked if there were any quesitons.

Responses included interest, enthusiasm (certainly for the photos!), and some reservation–no apparent opposition.

We’ve heard that the bill is likely to be introduced by Senator Salazar on Thursday, and that there’s hope of it being added to a bundle of other public lands bills and moving right along in the process, and also that it’s late in the session and probably won’t get very far until the next session.

Optimists, pessimists, realists? Just getting the bill introduced will seem like a big step toward ensuring the enduring protection we have been working toward.

The hotel we’ve been staying in is close to Capitol Hill, so we’ve been able to walk to the Senate and House offices. Some streets radiate out from the Capitol and Union Station and others are laid out in a grid, so there are all manner of angles at intersections which can lead to confusion. Once inside security at a Senate or House office building, there are tunnels to get from one building to another and stairs and elevators, some modern and serviceable, others ornate and/or beautiful, for vertical movement.

Elevators service three categories: freight only, Senators only, and everybody else.  You can guess who uses the ornate elevators. In the basements are to be found, among other things, cafeterias and dining rooms, which serve huge numbers of people at every meal, every day. All the food looks good, that which I ate tasted good—it was impressive. I imagined truck after truck pulling up to the loading docks to deliver vast quantities of produce and meats for the cooks and kitchen help to transform into the food that fuels our government.

One of the cafeterias touts that it sources food from within 150 miles (when possible, I’m sure—I doubt the pineapple and melons were grown within that distance).

Tomorrow we have a few more meetings scheduled and then we head to the airport and home.

 

Speaking up for wilderness in Washington

See also Salazars introduce Dominguez-Escalante NCA!

   Getting up Monday morning at 4:15 A.M. to catch an early train from
Philadelphia to D.C., I wasn’t so sure this whole lobbying trip was such a
great idea.  But upon arriving at the Campaign for America’s Wilderness
office on Capitol Hill, I was quickly impressed by the organization and
professionalism that had been invested in planning our trip. 

    We spent two and one-half days walking the halls and tunnels (and in
blessed moments, the outside pathways) that form the labyrinth where our
Senators and Representatives have their dominion.  By the second day, I had
determined that yellow was the most inviting color for a Congressperson’s
reception area; I had also fallen in love with the very large cut-out cow
that resides in the office of one of the senators from Vermont.  And I had
been almost universally impressed with the openness, knowledgeability, and
even patience of the many Hill Staffers with whom we met.

    It was surprisingly easy to develop (and when appropriate, to modify)
our spiel.  It was an honor and pleasure to work with Monica and Tony, and
later with Bill, all of them are WCC Board members.  It was enlightening to
listen to, and take guidance from, Steve Smith from The Wilderness Society
and Marcia Argust from the Campaign for America’s Wilderness.  They taught
us how the pros engage with our representatives; and they educated us on
specifics of the Dominguez-Escalante legislation.  And it was truly a marvel
to see Andy in a pin-striped suit exercising phenomenal self-control while
we “citizen lobbyists” led the charge.

    Outside of our “work” day, Steve and Marcia treated us to a couple of
wonderful meals.  On a personal note, I had an opportunity on our last
evening to meet up with 9 co-workers from my Ralph Nader days. With one
exception, I hadn’t seen any of them in 37 years.  It was exciting to learn
that they are all still engaged in doing important, non-profit work.  In
fact, it was somewhat disconcerting to be the only retiree, sandwiching in
my labors of love on behalf of WCC and other organizations between hikes and
travels and pottery-making!

    So it is with much appreciation that I thank WCC and the sponsors of
this trip for giving me an opportunity to champion a cause in which I
believe so passionately. In the process, they afforded me the chance to go
back to D.C. and to learn more about the legislative experience and the
people who care enough to do good things in this world.  I hope our efforts
continue to bear fruit.

 

Salazars introduce Dominugez Escalante

In the past hour, Senator and Congressman Salazar have introduced the Dominguez Escalate National Conservation Area legislation.  This bill will protect over 210,000 acres within a National Conservation Area with over 75,000 acres of Wilderness protection for the Dominguez Canyons.

Earlier this week, WCC sent four members to Washington DC to urge lawmakers to introduce strong protections for this area.  We’d like to think that we made a difference by representing our members in the halls of congress.  Look for updates from Joan, Tony and Monica in the next few days – we can all be proud of them for representing us in our nation’s capitol.

We’ll have more information and a detailed map of the proposal up on this site in the next few days.  Congratulations to everyone at WCC for all your hard work to make this legislation a reality!

 

Drilling good for wildlife?

Please consider writing a letter-to-the-editor in response to the article in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, “Drilling good for wildlife? Commissioners Meis, Rowland believe drilling helps the herds“.  While the Sentinel published its own, spot-on editorial (Out of the mouths of commissioners) on Meis’ comments, we need to reinforce the fact that reclamation is not happening in the gas patch. 

You can send a letter to the Sentinel at letters@gjds.com. Be sure to include your name, city and phone number, and keep your comments to 350 words.

 

The Mysterious Pro-nuke Greenpeace activist

A corporation, Energy Fuels, Inc., is moving full speed ahead with plans to construct a uranium processing mill in the West End of Montrose County.  If constructed, this would be the first new uranium mill built in the US in a generation.  It’s operation would make west Montrose, San Miguel and Mesa Counties, as well as the entire West Slope’s highway system, host to an industry that presents an intrinsic public health threat.  In fact, the nuclear industry is still paying medical claims and survivor benefits at the same time it resists cleaning up the many thousands of sites with uranium and processing wastes.  Unfortunately, some decision makers on the West Slope welcome the industry, stating flatly the nuclear industry is safe.

A surprising element in recent efforts to promote the nuclear industry are pitches by a handful of high-profile “environmentalists” who are enthusiastic about the nuclear industry.  Perhaps the best known in recent big media reporting is Patrick Moore, identified as a Greenpeace activist.    It turns out Moore is a flak for hire, a corporate media consultant skilled at greenwash.  I didn’t know his actual background when I heard him on NPR within the past two weeks.

Below is a link to a piece from Public Citizen about Patrick Moore and his efforts in Texas.

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2655

 

Grant Will Help DMEA Members Use Solar

Colorado, United States [from RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) residential members interested in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems will have a new financial incentive available June 1, 2008. A US $25,000 matching grant to DMEA from the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) will enable DMEA to offer a limited number of its members a US $2/watt rebate on new PV systems installed beginning June 1.

Under the program, only residential, grid-tied, net-metered PV systems on DMEA’s lines are eligible to receive rebates. To qualify for the rebate, PV systems must be installed by a certified member of the Colorado Solar Energy Industry Association (COSEIA) or North American Board of Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certified.

Under the program, only residential, grid-tied, net-metered PV systems on DMEA’s lines are eligible to receive rebates. To qualify for the rebate, PV systems must be installed by a certified member of the Colorado Solar Energy Industry Association (COSEIA) or the North American Board of Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

Rebates for solar electric systems will be capped at US $3,000 per system to spread available resources to more members. Rebates will not be retroactive and will only apply to systems installed between June 1 and December 31, 2008. All rebates will be subject to site verification and funding availability.

“We’re pleased that the Governor’s Energy Office has selected DMEA for this program,” said Steve Metheny, DMEA’s assistant general manager.  “Some of our members have been asking our board of directors for such a program and the recent grant from the state has greatly improved the economics of our financing solar rebates.”

Program applications will be available ONLY on DMEA’s website beginning June 1.

 

Bull Mountain pipeline gets early ok

On April 30, a US District Judge ruled against a request for a preliminary injunction against the US Forest Service’s and Bureau of Land Management’s approval of construction of the Bull Mountain Pipeline.

The pipeline would connect gasfields in the North Fork Valley (north of Paonia) with a main pipeline in the Interstate 70 corridor. It includes an eight-mile stretch through three separate national forest roadless areas.

Because bulldozers could start rolling within days to clear the pipeline route, WCC and a coalition of conservation groups have filed an appeal to the judge’s decision with the Tenth Circuit Court, again requesting a preliminary injunction.  Without the injunction, the pipeline route could be cleared while WCC and its allies wait for the judge to decide on our lawsuit, doing irreparable harm to the roadless areas.

Earthjustice filed our lawsuit in federal district court on March 5 challenging the Forest Service and BLM on their approval of this 25-mile natural gas pipeline.  The lawsuit argues that the agencies’ approval violates the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule by allowing a de facto road to be built through three national forest roadless areas. It also asserts that the agencies failed to consider the impacts of hundreds of additional gas wells that would be made possible by the new pipeline capacity.

On April 17th our Earthjustice lawyer, Robin Cooley, argued our request for a preliminary injunction before U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn in Denver.  In denying our request, Blackburn said that in order to win an injunction, we must show that we are likely to win our overall lawsuit.  He concluded that our case was not strong enough to merit the injunction.

Western Slope Environmental Resource Council (a WCC affiliate serving Delta County and western Gunnison County) and High Country Citizens Alliance (based in Crested Butte and covering Gunnison County) are the local citizens’ groups joining with WCC in the lawsuit.

Pitkin County also joined the lawsuit as officials there fear construction of the pipeline could lead to the drilling of gas wells in the western part of the county near Carbondale. No new wells have been drilled in the county over the last few years, but thousands of acres of public land have been leased to gas companies.

 

Buescher, Penry champion waste pit bill

As the last day of the Colorado legislature came to an end yesterday, Representative Bernie Buescher and Senator Josh Penry helped push through important legislation for Mesa County citizens.  House Bill 1414, increases protection for communities that are effected by evaporative waste pits. Waste pits are created by the oil and gas industry when they need to dispose of toxic waste generated by the production of natural gas. 

The increase in oil and gas production has effected towns like DeBeque – a small, economically depressed town on the edge of Mesa County.  DeBeque residents have lived with a large waste pit (Black Mountain) in their community for years.  When two proposals for additional waste facilities hit the drawing board in the last year, residents fought back and avoided having their close knit community become an industrial wasteland.

DeBeque has been targeted by the industry as a waste dump because of the easy interstate access the town provides.  DeBeque also sits in the middle of two Colorado Counties that are seeing increased production: Garfield County is the epicenter of western Colorado oil and gas activity.  With BLM lands being leased all over the County, including inside the town of Palisade and Grand Junction watersheds, Mesa County is sure to see more activity in the coming years.

Thanks to Representative Buescher and Senator Penry for their leadership on this important human health and environmental issue.